New Zealand
Latest
iPhone 4S arriving in Hong Kong, South Korea and a number of other locales on November 11th
Apple is getting ready to add a whole slew of new locations to its iPhone 4S world domination plan. Starting November 11th, the company's latest smartphone will be available in Hong Kong, South Korea and 13 additional countries, including Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. Pre-orders for those locations (save for Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama) will begin on the 4th. The handset is currently available in 29 countries -- that number will increase to more than 70 by year's end. Press info can be found after the break.
SWTOR invites Australia and New Zealand into testing
We know that Star Wars: The Old Republic is set to release in the United States and Europe on December 20th and 22nd respectively. As of yet, however, we do not have a release date for oceanic countries like Australia and New Zealand. We know these SWTOR fans are champing at the bit to get their hands on the game just as much as the rest of the world. Today, hot on the heels of the official European testing announcement, BioWare Community Coordinator Allison Berryman announced that the latest round of testing invites just left the Austin offices. This smaller group is designed to test out the west coast server for a limited time, and much to the delight of players, the group includes players from Australia and New Zealand. Berryman reminds readers that this does not mean BioWare has a defined release date yet for that region, but the community team will let everyone know as soon as it does.
Opinion: Delayed New Zealand iPhone 4S launch shows the perils of drawing Apple's ire
Although it missed out on getting the original iPhone, New Zealand was the first country on Earth to sell the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately that wasn't the only way NZ distinguished itself during the iPhone 3G launch; thanks to local telco Vodafone NZ, the country also featured some of the highest handset prices and most expensive plans anywhere in the world. New Zealand lost its "first kids on the block with the iPhone" crown in 2009, as the iPhone 3GS came out in NZ just under a month after its launch in the United States. Although a year had passed, nothing had changed on the pricing front; Vodafone's handset subsidies remained pitifully lacking compared to other countries, and plan prices remained staggeringly high compared to what Kiwis were getting for their money. In 2010, the iPhone 4 once again launched in New Zealand a little over a month after its US debut, but the NZ launch was an unmitigated disaster. Even on the day of the launch, conflicting reports from Vodafone NZ made it unclear whether the iPhone would launch in New Zealand at all. No official numbers were ever released on the number of iPhone 4 units available on launch day, but I know my local retailer received perhaps a dozen units before it sold out -- that's 12 iPhone 4 handsets in a city of over 80,000 people. Nothing has ever been conclusively proven, but the most popular (and most likely to be true) theory is that last-minute pricing disputes between Vodafone and Apple resulted in Apple threatening to cancel the New Zealand launch if Vodafone didn't agree to offer customers lower handset prices. Vodafone reportedly capitulated at first, and handset subsidies for the iPhone 4 were initially much more generous (a relative term) compared to earlier iPhone launches. Vodafone NZ turned around and raised iPhone 4 handset prices anyway several months later. Apple has to have taken notice of these shenanigans, and the proof is in the now greatly delayed New Zealand launch of the iPhone 4S. While our neighbors across the Tasman will see the iPhone 4S reach Australian stores on October 14, with 22 more countries following two weeks later, New Zealand won't see the iPhone 4S until December at the earliest. For those keeping score, this means that in only three years New Zealand has gone from being first in the world to see a new iPhone to being lumped in with the "70 more countries" category, also known as Apple's "Meh, whenever we get around to it," tier for iPhone launches. Even when the iPhone 4S does finally make it here, there's every reason to suspect the NZ launch will be just as big of a bungled debacle as it was last year. It's my suspicion that NZ's newfound low-priority status for the iPhone 4S launch comes as a direct result of Vodafone NZ's inflated handset prices -- or looking at it the other way, its terrible handset subsidies -- and the company's inflexibility in negotiations with Apple. Representatives from Vodafone NZ consistently take a "blame Apple" approach when called to task for things like high handset prices and fumbled launches, but their sister company handles launches with aplomb in Australia and manages to offer handsets at a fair price for the market. To be fair, Apple is not entirely blameless here either. The prices Apple charges for its gear in New Zealand approach extortionate levels when compared to other countries' pricing, even after accounting for taxes and import duties. Apple still offers unlocked iPhone 4 units at a starting price of NZ$899, roughly comparable to what I expect the price for an unlocked iPhone 4S to be in the United States. Apple's continued refusal to establish any official retail presence in a nation of four million potential customers, while simultaneously opening stores in sparsely-populated markets like Alaska, is also profoundly baffling. However, I believe most of the blame for the delayed iPhone 4S launch falls to Vodafone NZ's attitude toward both Apple and its own customers; in the end, it's those customers who are paying the price, in more ways than one. Given its position as the number one smartphone vendor in the world, Apple can afford to play hardball with virtually any wireless carrier. If my appraisal of the situation between Apple and Vodafone NZ is even close to being accurate, then it should serve as a cautionary example for other carriers. The carriers need Apple far more than Apple needs them -- Sprint dropping 20 billion dollars on an iPhone deal is proof enough of how badly carriers need Apple, but Apple kicking Vodafone NZ to the bottom of the iPhone 4S availability ladder is just as much proof of how little Apple needs the carriers. Wireless providers play hard to get with Apple at their own peril... but, sadly, also at the peril of their customers.
Uncharted 3 'Multiplayer Experience' live for PS Plus members in EMEA, AU/NZ this week
It seems that Subway and Naughty Dog's bizarre "Taste for Adventure" campaign doesn't extend past US borders, as Uncharted 3's "Multiplayer Experience" heads to other parts of the world this Wednesday without help from the sandwich chain. The only caveat? You must have a subscription to PlayStation Plus to join in. Sony's EU blog announced as much this morning, detailing the "Multiplayer Experience" as a chance for gamers in "Europe, South Africa, The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand" to check out U3's multiplayer -- post-beta -- for a full month before the game's early November launch. Don't fret, frugal non-PS Plus subscriber, as the announce additionally teases "other ways to gain access" to the multiplayer... thing via the PS blog and community forums. Like the US version, participants will be able to carry over "key aspects" of their multiplayer experience to the retail version, such as XP. Other details are unfortunately scant, but Sony promises more soon.%Gallery-121445%
SWTOR launch day questions answered
The community team at BioWare told us that we would know when the train was coming, but it came crashing through our house when half of us were still sleeping. As we reported earlier, Star Wars: The Old Republic set its launch day for December 20th for North America and December 22nd for Europe. All the fans exhaled in relief, then promptly started asking more questions. First off, the Australian and New Zealand launch dates have not been set, and BioWare cannot commit to a launch day yet for that region. However, back in August, Senior Community Manager Stephen Reid posted on the official forums that "There are no plans to 'region lock' or 'IP block' players from the game. You may experience some latency issues if you're not playing in a launch territory." This still holds true today. To prevent signup issues on launch day, log-ins will be throttled. However, pre-order customers will still gain early access to the game. Senior Community Coordinator Allison Berryman reported on the official forum: "The beginning of Early Game Access will depend on a number of factors, including results from our Game Testing Program and Pre-Orders, but there will be multiple days of access." Lastly, in case you missed it earlier, BioWare did announce the subscription costs. It comes as no surprise to most MMO gamers that the first month is free with the purchase of the game. After that it's $14.99 per month (£8.99 or €12.99), $41.97 for 3 months (£25.17 or €35.97), or $77.94 for six months (£46.14 or €65.94). There have been no lifetime subscription announcements as of yet, but we will let you know if we hear anything.
Auckland amps up free WiFi for Rugby World Cup
Just in time for play-by-play tweets about the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Auckand has instituted a fully-integrated WiFi network across its Link public transit system. According to officials, buses and some trains will get the free internet treatment, giving passengers up to three 30 minute sessions a day between September 1 and October 31st. Powered by Tomizone and sponsored by Localist, the network promises 2 - 6Mbps downloads and is based on point-to-point links around town using fiber assets for backhaul. If that wasn't enough connectivity, CallPlus and Slingshot are dishing out some gratis WiFi of their own with an additional thousand hotspots sprinkled throughout the city. Hopefully, the added infrastructure will mean WiFi access par excellence year round for maximum non-Rugby related tweetage. Check out the full PR after the break. [Thanks, Scott]
Microsoft: front facing cameras, Skype integration coming with Mango update (video)
When Microsoft unveiled the SGH-i937 Mango Windows Phone 7 handset last month, we noticed what appeared to be a front facing camera perched atop the Galaxy S II-like device. Now, the company has confirmed that forthcoming Mango flavored phones will indeed feature face-gazing shooters, along with Skype integration. The confirmation came at Redmond's TechEd event in New Zealand, where two employees also revealed that Microsoft's Lync VoIP client will soon expand to other platforms, including iOS, Android and Symbian. As for that Skype integration, the reps assured the audience that it's coming soon, though it remains unclear whether it'll come in the form of an app, or a subsequent update. You can watch the TechEd session for yourself after the break, but be warned that parts of it are somewhat inaudible. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Rich Decibels Brainwave Disruptor scrambles your head, not your eggs
Child of the '80s? Then you'll most likely remember those notorious PSAs about your brain and eggs, and the dangers of turning yourself into an omelette. Yeah, well turn off your inner Nancy Reagan for a second because we've got an Arduino hack that should have you just saying yes. New Zealand artist Rich Decibels created a homebrew brain entrainment device that uses low frequency sound and light to induce different mental states. The mod pieces together an Arduino Uno with two separate interface boards -- one for pitch and separation controls, the other for LED and volume -- to deliver a combo of binaural beats (two slightly out of sync tones) and flashing headset-mounted lights that'll slow down those cerebral hertz cycles. If you happen to live in the land made famous by Frodo's Shire, you can check out the brain-slowing goods at Thistle Hall's Project Briefcase exhibition. Not a Kiwi? Then be sure to hit the source for an audio taste of this hacked head experience.
Former Gameloft Auckland head studio programmer calls working conditions 'dangerous'
Encouraged by recent revelations regarding Team Bondi's working conditions during L.A. Noire's production, former Gameloft Auckland Head Studio Programmer Glenn Watson delivered his own testimonial during an interview with games.on.net, claiming that the studio's work environment is "dangerous." According to Watson, Gameloft's senior management manufactured a constant sense of urgency among the studio's employees by creating false deadlines, which required employees to work 12- to 14-hour days, amassing hundreds of hours of unneeded overtime. Watson says he realized he needed to resign after "four consecutive weeks of fourteen-hour days - including weekends." The studio's employees are contractually required to work any "reasonable hours" requested of them, however the definition of "reasonable hours" can reportedly be changed by senior management at any time. Watson claims that these conditions constitute "fatigue working" under New Zealand's 2002 Health and Safety in Employment Act, and that Gameloft's employees are legally entitled to refuse the work, regardless of their contractual obligations. He also claims that the studio's poor performance has been the direct result of the staff's working conditions, and that the employees would be able to meet the same deadlines with fewer mistakes, if only given a chance to rest.
App Store international pricing changes afoot
Prices in several international App Stores are fluctuating today, as MacStories predicted earlier. Prices have fallen in the Australian App Store; Angry Birds used to cost AU$1.29, but it now goes for $0.99. Strangely, despite the recent weakening of the US dollar, prices seem to have increased in the UK; minimum pricing in the UK was once £0.59, but that's been raised to £0.69. The timing of these pricing changes may coincide with the imminent launch of OS X Lion, which is expected to launch some time this week. However, not all App Stores have seen pricing changes yet. New Zealand App Store prices have remained at NZ$1.29, an eight-cent premium over US prices at the current exchange rate.
The Road to Mordor: A talk with the crew of The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers
Buzz has been increasing about an intriguing independent film that looks to blend Tolkien love, geek pride, and Lord of the Rings Online fandom into one epic adventure. Called The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers, this movie is about a group of friends who undertake a journey to a convention in order to participate in a LotRO gaming competition (and stick it to some bullies while they're at it). Many blogs, such as LOTRO Reporter and A Casual Stroll to Mordor, have promoted this up-and-coming film, and after seeing the trailer, we too became fascinated with what could be a fun movie that puts MMO gaming front and center. One may not simply walk into Mordor, but with the right connections, one could phone the folks up there. We got on the line with three crew members for The Fellows Hip -- Ron Newcomb (producer, director and writer), Scott Mathais (producer and writer), and Shane McClung (producer) -- to see just what type of lovable insanity would cause a group of people to throw together such a movie.
Parrot AR.Drone floats into damaged New Zealand cathedral, returns with haunting video
Whenever disaster strikes, robots are among the first to scope out the damage. Rarely, however, do they return with footage as eerie as what this Parrot AR.Drone recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand. In the wake of Monday's 6.0-magnitude earthquake, engineers sent the $500 bot into the city's Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament -- a 106-year-old Roman Catholic church that had sustained significant damage, rendering it too dangerous for humans to enter. The iPad-controlled quadrocopter swooped in and captured rather depressing images of the cathedral's battered interior. The video's quality may be low, but its creepy quotient is high: shattered stained-glass windows, piles of debris, stray pieces of iconography -- it's all quite heavy. Head past the break to see it for yourself. [Thanks, Ross]
Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video)
OK, so the Martin Jetpack may not have gone into commercial production quite as soon as we'd anticipated, but there's still hope on the horizon. Over the weekend, Glenn Martin's flying machine successfully climbed some 5,000 feet above sea level, marking a new milestone in the 30-year, $12 million project. Remotely controlled by a tailing helicopter, the 250-pound craft used its two "superfans" to power itself skyward at about 800 feet per second minute, before safely parachuting back to Earth from a height of about 3,000 feet. As with its last test run, however, the Martin Jetpack was equipped not with a human being, but with a crash dummy. It may have been for the best, though, considering that the machine sustained some damage upon concluding the ten-minute flight. Nevertheless, Martin seems confident that yesterday's test "brings the future another step closer," and is hoping to deliver his brainchild to customers within the next 18 months -- plenty of time for us to hawk enough family heirlooms to afford that $86,000 price tag. Soar past the break for a video of the jetpack's big launch, or check out the source link for a more extensive interview with Martin and some background footage of his invention. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Climbing robot can scale walls on a supersonic stream of air, won't leave fingerprints behind
There are plenty of wall climbing robots roaming the Earth, but few can scale heights as gracefully as this little guy can. Developed by researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, this bot can wind its way across any glass, metal or cloth terrain, without even touching its pods to the surface. The secret lies in Bernoulli's Principle, which states that as the speed of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases. This phenomenon also applies to streams of air, which, when moving at high speeds around of a circular gripper, can create a vacuum strong enough to hold things without actually touching them. In this case, air shoots out of the robot's feet at more than 2,000 miles per hour, creating enough pressure to lift the craft, while holding it close to the wall. The technology isn't new, but rarely can it support the weight of an entire device -- let alone the extra cargo that this climber's non-contact adhesive pads can hold. Researchers say the supersonic grippers will be available in "some months" and will probably cost "a few hundred dollars." As for the bot itself, Canterbury's engineers envision it being used for industrial inspections -- though the more we think about it, the more we realize just how dirty our windows are. Video after the break.
Xperia Play shipment to New Zealand stolen, Vodafone launch delayed (update: fake)
As if Sony Ericsson hasn't already had enough headaches with the Xperia Play. here comes Vodafone New Zealand with the announcement that its launch shipment of the gamer-friendly smartphone has been... stolen! We don't know how many Xperia Plays were in those crates, but it must take a pretty sophisticated operation to snatch up all of Voda's supply for an entire country. This slight hitch in transportation blatant lie follows an unexplained delay in shipments reaching the UK last month, and will compound shortages already caused by limited production capacity in Japan. Man, imagine how terrible this news might have been if the Play actually had any games worth playing. Update: It's all fake. Vodafone recently released some "security footage" of the "theft" in action, which only served to immediately incite outrage in viewers of the clip, and a Vodafone New Zealand spokesperson admitted to The Australian that the company made up the whole thing. For shame.
PSN back in Europe and Australia, your password email may take some time
The select PlayStation Network services that came back online in North America over the weekend have now shaken off their bonds in a handful of other territories across the globs. Formerly jilted users living in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South America should now have access to online multiplayer, third-party video services and all the other reactivated features that returned this past Saturday. Unfortunately, the flood of people who have made their first priority to change their password have overwhelmed both the PlayStation Network servers and their ISPs, leading to delays for password reset emails. If you requested a password reset and haven't heard back yet, Sony asks that you "please give it a bit of time to reach your email."
New Zealand paralympian buys first Rex Bionics exoskeleton, takes robot walking legs for a spin
Surely we weren't the only ones to wonder aloud who would be the first come up with $150,000 for a Rex Bionics robotic exoskeleton when the Auckland-based company introduced it last summer. Of course, no price seems too high for the ability to walk again, but that's still a lot scratch to get together -- and the space has been getting a lot more competitive as of late. The honor went to fellow Kiwi Dave MacCalman, a multiple medal-winning paralympian, who lost the use of his legs after sustaining a spinal cord injury while diving into a river. The 6-foot, 4-inch athlete took his first steps in over 30 years with the use of his newly-purchased robot legs -- and from the look on his face, he definitely got his New Zealand dollar's worth. If you need a quick refresher on exactly what this thing can do, check out the video after the break.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution gets 'very special edition' in select territories
Do you live in Europe, Australia, or New Zealand and long for a super fancy, ultra limited edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Square Enix has announced plans for a "very limited Collector's Edition" to launch alongside the regular, old, boring and utterly normal edition when it arrives this summer. The "very limited" iteration of Deus Ex comes packed with a "highly collectable" figure of protagonist Adam Jensen, the "Explosive Mission Pack" (which is also part of GameStop's pre-order incentive), a smattering of in-game weapons, 10,000 extra in-game credits, a "making of" DVD and soundtrack, and a 40-page art book. How much will all that "very limited" stuff cost you? Square's not saying just yet, though pricing and specifics on availability will be made clear "closer to launch."
Alienware M14x laptop now available to order... in Malaysia (update: M11x too)
Well, it looks like those eager to get their hands on Dell's much-leaked Alienware M14x laptop now finally have at least one option, although it might not be the most convenient one. The gaming laptop has just turned up on Dell Malaysia's website, where it's now already available to order starting at RM 4,799, or roughly $1,600. Of course, this is an Alienware laptop, so there's also quite a few higher-end options available for some extra cash, including up to a Core i7 2820QM processor, 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M graphics with 3GB of DDR3 memory (and Optimus technology), and your choice of either a 1,366 x 768 or 1,600 x 900 resolution on the 14-inch display. As for a broader release, Pocket-lint is reporting that both the M14x and M18x will be officially announced (if not released) on April 19th which, last we checked, is tomorrow. [Thanks, koinmove] Update: Looks like the US (or global, perhaps) release for the M14x is indeed on. Or, Alienware's coincidentally teasing something else entirely at the exact same time. Thanks, Jason. Update 2: Ah, and now we have the little M11x R3 showing up on Dell's Australia and New Zealand sites. Thanks everyone. Update 3: As expected, the UK's also getting the M14x and the new M11x. Thanks, Thomas.
International iPad 2 launch snapshot: New Zealand
Here's a preview of what international Apple fans can expect for the iPad 2 launch later today. The iPad 2 went on sale in New Zealand about an hour ago as I write this. About 15 minutes or so later, it pretty much sold out nationwide. iPhonewzealand has a good roundup of user pics from lineups all over the nation, and though the lines are much shorter than in the States, they still show great enthusiasm. Two stores in the city I live in were authorized to sell the iPad 2 according to Apple's website: Dick Smith Electronics (DSE) and JB Hi-Fi. I watched the line progress at DSE, where about 40 people had lined up by the time the launch took place at 5 PM local time. Oddly enough, the first person in line said he'd only queued up an hour beforehand; by contrast, people in major cities like Auckland and Wellington had been in line for several hours hoping to buy Apple's latest gadget. This was in spite of the fact that many resellers didn't give line standers official confirmation that they had stock on hand until well into the day -- New Zealand doesn't have any official Apple Stores, and for some reason, resellers were being very coy throughout the day. Dick Smith sold through its entire stock of iPad 2 units in 15 minutes. Store employees wouldn't divulge exactly how many units they had ("very limited" was all they could tell me), but based on the number of people who left empty-handed, I'd say this store received a total of 25 units. JB Hi-Fi, on the other hand, actually had stock left over when I went there, with two units unsold. JB Hi-Fi's employees confirmed that they, too, received only around 25 units in total. The good news is, if you do manage to snag an iPad 2, you won't be left wanting for accessories. Although virtually every iPad 2 buying customer left DSE with a Smart Cover, there were dozens left over afterward. Extrapolating upward from ~50 units sold in Palmerston North, that means New Zealand received at most 2500 iPad 2 units on launch day. Note that this is a very rough back-of-the-envelope calculation based on comparing the number of units in Palmerston North (50) versus its population (~80,000) versus the population of New Zealand (about four million). In reality, I'd guess the total number of iPad 2s sold today probably numbers closer to 1500 or less -- still much higher than my very pessimistic estimate of 500 units. That being said, given the very limited stock sold where I live and the 3-4 week shipping delay, I'm glad I got mine from the States. All told, this paints a picture for the international iPad 2 launch that pretty much everyone had to expect after seeing how things went down in the US -- though countries like the UK and Australia, who both have official Apple Retail Stores, are likely to get much more allocated stock than New Zealand, where everything goes through resellers. Yes, the iPad 2 is launching in 25 countries on March 25..., but if you want one, you'd better get in line as soon as you finish reading this sentence. Go!
