2010
Latest
Texas Instruments unleashes new nHD DLP chipset, now with more pico
We didn't think it could be done, but the fine folks at Texas Instruments have just unleashed a tiny, tiny beast in their all new DLP pico chipset. The nHD DLP chipset, as it's known, boasts 640x360 resolution, a contrast ratio of "better than" 1,000:1, RGB LED wide color gamut (which should more faithfully reproduce colors), a new, and a lower powered processor. Overall, the package is 20 percent thinner and 50 percent lighter than the current generation DLP chipset. We hear the chipset should be available in the second quarter of 2010. The full press release is after the break.
Twenty-four telecom operators unite to form Wholesale Applications Community
Big doings over in Barcelona today. Twenty-four telecom operators, with the support of the GSMA and three major hardware manufacturers, have formally announced they will come together to form the Wholesale Applications Community. Essentially, the goal of the alliance will be to create a viable, cohesive and open industry platform for mobile app developers. Members of the Community will include AT&T, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, TeliaSonera, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone among others, and they'll be supported in their endeavors by LG, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. The total customers of the group is about 3 billion, giving WAC (our name) some considerable -- albeit theoretical for the moment -- power. The group plans to work on coming up with a standard for working across platforms over the next twelve months. WAC's website just went live a bit ago -- there's a link to it below -- and the full press release is after the break.
Samsung's 3D HDTVs arrive February 26, starting at just under $2,000
Following the company's 2010 Blu-ray player lineup, the first of this year's 3D HDTVs from Samsung are available for preorder at a few internet retailers. The edge-lit LED and 1.1-inch thin C7000 series hits in 40- 46- and 55-inch sizes, with plenty of other features to go along with their 3D and 2D-to-3D conversion abilities. There's access to Samsung Apps & Internet@TV, Skype, AllShare DLNA media streaming, and tweaks that promise to automatically adjust picture and sound for any content source, from a thumb drive to a Blu-ray player. Best pleasant surprise? Price. The UN46B7000 model we reviewed last year started with a $2,999 MSRP (currently down to $1,929 on Amazon), while this year's UN46C7000 (shipping April 16) has a preorder price of $2,599. The 40- and 55-inch versions are similarly priced, at $1,999 and $3,299, respectively, though those necessary 3D glasses are left out of the package as an optional and as yet unpriced accessory that will likely eagerly claim any remaining room in your budget. %Gallery-85380% [Thanks, Jason]
If at first you don't succeed, Ride, Ride again
You think the first time Tony Hawk, the man himself, stepped onto a skateboard it was a sick run? Heck no -- it was pathetic. But you know what? He got back on. And the rest is history. Activision today fessed up to that new installment in the Tony Hawk game franchise, confirmed for a 2010 release and paired with the skateboard peripheral introduced with Ride last fall -- and boy was that a big fall. Shaking off signs that Ride and its board are about as beloved as worn-out Levis and antique Tupperware, Activision has committed to another run on the Tony Hawk board. "Game ratings for Tony Hawk: Ride weren't as high as we would have hoped last year, and in hindsight it took longer to optimize the hardware, leaving less time to develop the software we launched in 2009," said Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing, during a financial report and outlook call today. "Still, play-testing and consumer feedback have been very encouraging." "This year, with the hardware complete, we'll be focusing on improving the software in order to unlock the full potential of the board," Griffith added. "We continue to believe that this innovative peripheral redefines the skateboarding experience and could potentially have different applications in the future."
EVE Evolved: The development of Incarna
One of the biggest differences between EVE Online and most other MMOs is the lack of a humanoid avatar. Even when you're docked up in a station, you can't leave your ship and walk around. The detailed avatars we create on starting the game are not so much avatars as passport photos; seen only as little square mug shots in chat channels and the official forums. In their never-ending quest to make EVE the definitive Sci-Fi simulation, this is something the game's developers CCP have always endeavoured to change. The introduction of a full body avatar feature, code-named "Walking in Stations", "Ambulation" and now known as "Incarna", has been undeniably the most anticipated feature since EVE went live. It's been in development since 2006 but has proven a much larger task than CCP originally anticipated. With the expansion tentatively slated for winter this year, new information on it is still harder to find than a sober Icelandic game developer. In this week's EVE Evolved, I take a look at Incarna's development so far and why it hasn't been released yet.
LG BD550 Blu-ray player manual pops up on support site
We're still eagerly awaiting all the 2010 hardware that debuted at CES to show up on store shelves, so until then we'll take what we can get and today that would be an instruction manual for LG's BD550 Blu-ray player. Filling out the low end of the company's Blu-ray player lineup for this year there's no real surprises here: NetCast access means VUDU, Netflix and the works, but only two channel analog audio out and no video via USB. We're honestly more interested in the BD570 and 250GB hard drive packing BD590 but that shouldn't stop you from discreetly browsing this PDF for now and imagining setting up your Pandora accounts via its sleek remote -- so dirty.
Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release
Nintendo is one of a few companies to release its earnings report earlier this week, and a supplemental report released today has some surprises and new information for Wii owners. Not only does it finally list a target date for Metroid: Other M (you can expect it as soon as summer of this year if all goes according to plan), but there are two brand new names in the list as well: Xenoblade and The Last Story. Xenoblade is listed for a Spring 2010 release, so we should be hearing about that one soon, and The Last Story is listed for sometime this year, with both slated for release on the Wii in Japan. There's reason to believe these are just new names, as both Monado: Beginning of the World and Cosmic Walker are missing from the report, and Monado was being developed by Monolith Soft, known most notably for another Xeno- title you may have heard of. But Monado is still listed for a release in the US this year, so who knows? Other than that, the report lists some titles we expected to see soon: A new Kirby Super Star title, Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Wii's Legend of Zelda, Golden Sun for DS, and a few other releases scheduled in 2010. Full list of Japanese Wii releases is after the break.
Apple 2010 Q1 earnings announced... and they're magnificent
Apple's press release discussing the FY10 Q1 earnings (the December '09 calendar quarter) has been transmitted to the ether, and the SEC has the form 10-Q. You can read the whole thing at Apple's investor relations page, but let us sum up: goodness gracious. Earnings per share (under GAAP rules) were at $3.67, with a total revenue number of $15.68B; net profit was $3.38B. Mac sales for the quarter hit 3.36 million and iPhone sales came in at 8.7 million (under analyst estimates of 9.1 million). The company has over $23B in cash and short-term investments. Ahead of today's earnings news, AAPL was up over 2.5 percent for the day, closing at 203.07; market mood monitor Piqqem had analyst estimates largely bullish at $2.07 EPS and $12.05B in revenue. Join us momentarily for our liveblog of the analysts' call at 5 pm ET. One more thing: a quote from Steve Jobs. "The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about." Us too. Disclosure: I hold a small, long-term position in AAPL. See the full release below.
Motorola launching 20-30 Android phones in 2010
Some interesting tidbits came out of Motorola's DEXT launch in Singapore today -- CNET Asia had a chance to sit down with Moto's Asia Pacific VP Spiro Nikolakopoulos, who said that the company would launch between 20 to 30 Android phones globally in 2010. Spiro also said that not every phone would make it to every market, so we're guessing the true number will be more like 10 if you count regional variants like the CLIQ and the DEXT as one model. Just by our count, Moto's already pretty close: off the tops of our heads we've heard of the Shadow, the Devour, the Backflip, the Ruth, and several others destined for China -- rather impressive for a company that was on the brink of collapse just a short while ago. No wonder it's reconsidering that spinoff, eh? [Thanks, Hiro]
The Digital Continuum: Delay? You can't handle the delay!
Rumor: a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts. Example: Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in October, 2010. Yeah, guys, that was never in the wings. The fact of the matter is that the game was never delayed. You need at minimum a projected release date before something can be delayed. I personally find it pretty ridiculous that some people are worried about hype dying down for a game which they themselves thrust a false release date upon because they're so hyped up for it.
Poll: Will you buy a 3D HDTV?
While last year's CES darling -- widget HDTVs --has expanded into full blown app stores built into every display or set-top box around, there's no question that the big news in Las Vegas in 2010 was 3D. Details on prices and exact shipping dates are still at best, sketchy, but we put our eyes into enough shutter glasses to last us until 2011. So, here's this year's question: are you ready to upgrade your HDTV for a World Cup, Avatar or BCS National Championship Game ready 3DTV? Or are you more inclined to wait for more content / lower prices before jumping in? Finally we can't forget those who never intend to buy a 3D ready setup and are perfectly happy with things the two dimensional way they've always been. Get your vote in, and as always, feel free to let us know why in the comments. %Poll-40164%
Rumor: New iPhone by April
You TUAW readers came up with a long list of features for a possible iPhone 4.0, and now it turns out you might not even have to wait too long for a new revision. A few overseas providers of the iPhone have hinted that a brand new version of the handset could be coming out as soon as April of this year. Possible features this time include a video chat function, a removable battery, dual-core processors, and a better screen and camera (possibly with a flash feature, as we've heard before). That sounds like a lot of wishful thinking to us (I doubt we'll ever see an iPhone with a removable battery -- if Apple wanted to do so, they'd have already done it), but if not, that would be a pretty darn popular smartphone, and it would definitely answer the recent challenge of Google's Nexus One. But of course as always, rumors are rumors, so we won't believe it until we see Steve Jobs holding it on stage, and you shouldn't either. But sources have long said that 2010 will be a year in which we'll see a new iPhone, and while April (or early May) seems earlier than we thought, you never know.
WoW, Casually: Looking backward and forward
Robin Torres writes WoW, Casually for the player with limited playtime. Of course, you people with lots of playtime can read this too, but you may get annoyed by the fact that we are unashamed, even proud, of the fact that beating WoW isn't our highest priority. Take solace in the fact that your gear is better than ours, but if that doesn't work, remember that we outnumber you. Not that that's a threat, after all, we don't have time to do anything about it. But if WoW were a democracy, we'd win. The problem with writing these year end posts for WoW is the tendency for Blizzard to make huge changes at the end of the year, altering everything. Whether it's a new expansion like Wrath of the Lich King or Patch 3.3, it's hard to remember what the game was like the previous 3/4 of the year. It's not that we didn't have a good time before the big year end events, but the game becomes so different, what we did before is irrelevant. This year, hopefully by or during the summer, we'll be getting another expansion -- only this will literally change everything. It's like we'll be getting WoW II, only without having to give up our stuff/contacts/accounts and start fresh in a new game. So let's take a look backward and forward at some of the main aspects of the game as it affects those of us with limited playtime, like we were the two-faced god this month is named after.
GameStop shares drop 15% following holiday sales info release
Following yesterday's lowered profit forecast announcement from GameStop, the company's stock took a 15 percent dive as of last night. According to GamesInudstry.biz, stocks opened yesterday "sharply down" due to the release of lowered profit expectations, but rose again before ending the day at $20.46. We might not know what the future holds for GameStop, but Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter returned from the future for just long enough to say he believes "industry sales will rebound in 2010 and that GameStop is well-positioned to gain share [over] the first half of the year." It certainly doesn't hurt the retailer that 2010 is chock full of delayed 2009 releases, we imagine.
New Backbreaker trailer promises 'next-level' football
We haven't heard much about Backbreaker in a good year and a half, but the Euphoria Engine-powered football title (thinkThe Force Unleashed, with all of those Stormtroopers flying around) is still hitting first downs. It's now set for a release in spring of 2010 (ah, spring, when everyone's mind turns to football -- oh wait), and 505 Games has screenshots and a brand new trailer to share. The game will boast both online and split-screen multiplayer, Arcade and Pro modes (the tougher one will have AI and visual assists switched off) and full team customization options, including a full logo editor. But of course the real star quarterback here is the physics engine -- while the video hints at some great dynamic tackling and movement, we'll have to wait and see if the gameplay provides some real innovation in the football genre. %Gallery-82057%
Speculating on BlizzCon 2010
It's a new year and that means another opportunity to play oracle and figure out what Blizzard's plans are for 2010. BlizzPlanet has gone ahead and tossed out some of their ideas on what will happen for BlizzCon this year, laying out their predictions and even speculating on the event date. As you might know, there was a bit of confusion stemming from supposed leaked information that pointed to BlizzCon 2010 happening in Las Vegas in July. That didn't go down so well with Blizzard, and the Las Vegas convention center later retracted its statements. BlizzPlanet points out, quite logically, that Blizzard probably wasn't too thrilled with that. Even if they had planned to do it in Las Vegas, that kind of public relations misstep is a deal breaker. Besides, Eldorian from BlizzPlanet applies simple, sound logic to his sleuthing work and explains that examining the Anaheim Convention Center's Calendar of Events reveals an odd, blank date on the weekend of August 20-21, yet almost all the weekends of the venue are already booked. With Blizzard being the secretive bunch that they are, he figures those blank dates actually correspond with this year's BlizzCon event. It's a pretty cool theory. Read the rest of their predictions as well as a few of our own guesses after the jump.
SnapTax allows you to do your taxes on your iPhone
It's a new year, which means that in a few months, taxes will come due yet again. So why not get a head start on them with your iPhone -- there is, it turns out, an app for that. TurboTax has an app coming out called SnapTax that promises to make taxes easy. All you do is take a picture of your W2 form with the camera, and then the software automatically reads the form, extracts the necessary information, and then uploads it into TurboTax's software and processes your return. Pretty amazing. There are, of course, a few drawbacks here. First is that you need to be in California. While the software will eventually work everywhere, they're beta testing in the Golden State this year only. Second is that you should have a later generation iPhone -- the optical text software works better with more processor power, so you'll have to fix fewer errors on your 3GS than earlier versions of the hardware. And finally, you'll need to have a pretty simple tax return. There are more options to handle more complicated tax issues, but basically the software is designed for a simple W2 plus maybe some extra income. Being a freelancer, I have all sorts of hoops to jump through, so I'll have to head to the accountant yet again. But hopefully this will help some of you. The app is coming later this month and will be available for $9.99. I'm not sure if that includes the actual return, but if it does, that's a bargain. If you're lucky enough to be in California and in the position to use this app, keep an eye out for it.
2010 Project Natal launch and Xbox Game Room leaked in CES interview
Microsoft's CES keynote doesn't begin for a few hours still, but it looks as it the crux of the consumer electronics news from it is already flowing. Purportedly, a leaked interview (that has since been yanked) showed Robbie Bach, President of the Entertainment & Devices Division, talking up two things of utmost importance. The first of which is Project Natal, which is Redmond's attempt to add full-body interaction to the game console. The news? It's looking like 2010 really will be the year said product hits the shelves, and it's seeming more and more likely that the well-known Natal moniker will stick for retail. The other bit is a so-called Xbox Game Room, which is "supposed to bring back that retro fun to gaming." That's fairly ambiguous, but we can't say that our interest isn't piqued. Hang tight for what we hope will be the official announcement later this evening -- the day has only just begun, you know? Update: We've got the full interview! Catch it after the break!
Found Footage: Knowledge Navigator concept from 1987
Remember back when Apple made concept videos of their future hardware instead of people making concepts for them? I actually don't, but that's just because I'm a young punk -- the last major official concept video I remember seeing was the old (and somewhat prescient) "You Will" commercials. But on the eve of what already seems like the year of the tablet, here's a retro look at a 1987 video made by Apple featuring the "Knowledge Navigator," a tablet-style computer with web access (sorry, "university network access" -- the web didn't exist yet) and personified software agents to search, field calls, and even run apps and simulations. Good stuff -- I doubt we'll see video clips of bowtied male secretaries answering calls from the iPhone if the tablet should appear later this month, but here in this future time of 2010, it's fun to look back and see what we thought we'd be doing now: asking favors from Jill Gilbert, taking Kathy to the airport by 2, and ignoring calls from Mom. [Via DF]
Predictions for 2010?
2010... a year we've been waiting for since at least the mid-80's. It's finally here guys -- so what happens next? Every year we take the 1st of January to try and figure that out. Normally we would consult the sage-like wisdom of Engadgetdamus, but this year is special, and we thought it needed the kind of time-twisting-artificial-intelligence-color-cycling-weird-baby-monolith-Roy-Scheider-starring-space-adventure that only the above image (and book, and movie) could evoke. Below are the predictions from the staff of ye olde Engadget -- what say you, good reader? Chris: In an unprecedented cash and stock deal valued at over $1.7 billion, Comcast acquires your '89 Festiva. Thomas: Steve Jobs will announce a pair of tablets, then smash them to bits on account of Android idolatry. Laura: Jeff Bezos will continue to predict the "death of the book." The book will continue to exist merely to spite Bezos. Don: The world breathes a sigh of relief that the Large Hadron Collider will never create a black hole... after it is destroyed by zombies. Dan: Apple's stock will plummet when a TUAW investigative report reveals that Steve Jobs actually died in 2002, and has since been portrayed by talk show host cum surreal performance artist, Arsenio Hall. Nilay: Google finally flips the switch and creates Skynet. Joanna: The OLPC XO-3 gets an early release date - in the form of the Apple Tablet. Ends world hunger, illiteracy and violence. Saves the world. Ben: Microsoft agrees that CableCARD is a failure and Media Center along with it and introduces Zune Center. Josh F: Adult entertainment will kick-start yet another media market, this time in the form of 3D Blu-ray porn. Richard Lai: Tamagotchi resurrects with 3D monochrome screen, and then dies. Darren: Intel considers making an Atom that's actually fast, but its bottom line delays the launch until December 31, 2012. Vlad: Sony Ericsson delivers an Xperia handset on time... nah, just kidding. Richard Lawler: Nintendo surprises everyone and releases the Wii 3D. Josh T: Google upends the landscape of the mobile phone market when Eric Schmidt says Apple can "have one of these unsubsidized" while emphatically pointing to his crotch.
