PlayStation Vita will double as a PS3 controller
With Sony due to launch its offensive on mobile phone gaming with its ultra-portable handheld, we can't help but get a little giddy over the news that we may be able to potentially use it as a PS3 controller, a la Wii U.
While this tasty morsel of news is yet to be confirmed, it certainly makes sense to go head-to-head with the Wii U. And despite the lack of an official thumbs up, Sony R&D manager Phil Rogers said that thanks to the Vita's gyroscope, accelerometer and touch-sensitive front and back, the Vita could work as a controller for a range of PS3 games. Interestingly, he also revealed the Vita comes equipped with the technology to support cross platform play, which essentially means games from your PS3 could be pumped over to your handheld, allowing you to finish your gaming sesh on the go if, let's say for example, you're being forced to free up the family telly. The first title known to support its continuation play functionality is Ruin, which is yet to be given a release date. Read more...
BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 launch soon
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 are coming out later this month with BlackBerry 7 OS inside. Both embrace the wonderful world of media as BlackBerry becomes more than just a business-battling work phone. That means getting internet friendly – with an HTML 5 browser that’s 40% faster than the previous OS had to offer. That’s not hard, you might say, but how about a 10.3mm-thin body, fancy new Liquid Graphics technology and touchscreen (as well as keyboard)? Read more...
Huawei Vision joins the Android smartphone army
You may remember Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from such gadgets as the S7 Slim tablet, unveiled in June. But if you've never heard the name, you've almost certainly used something the company's made for someone else. The Huawei Vision Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone gives the Samsung Galaxy S II a run for its money on specs and style with a 3.7in capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, aluminium unibody frame and 5mp camera with autofocus, LED flash and 720p video recording. Read more...
HTC adds eight smartphones to the cavalry
As if HTC doesn't have enough smartphones in its stable, the Taiwanese company is ready to unleash a barrage of eight – yes, eight! – new handsets into the smartphone arena. So if you struggle while trying to distinguish your S from your Z to your HD, expect everything to get just that little bit more complicated. Read more...
Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2 incoming
Tablets are getting so samey, yet Asus is getting well clear by pioneering the keyboard-armed Transformer and Slider tablets. With the Slider due for a September release we should have a hands-on for you after IFA 2011, and maybe even a glimpse of the new Transformer 2 which is rumoured to feature the Kal-El quad-core Tegra 3 super chip. With the current Transformer the highest selling tablet on Amazon for the last two weeks, we’re expecting a hasty pre-Christmas release for its sequel – and a lot less disappointments than the movie title equivalent.
Next Big Thing – modular gadgets
Isn't flat-packed furniture fiddly enough? True, but with Ikea you can only make one piece of furniture. With hardware toolkits and software support from Microsoft's .NET Gadgeteer, which launched this week, you can in theory build any electronic device your little heart desires, from retro gaming machines to flipbook makers. Read more...
Acer Iconia AC100 gets August US launch
Acer's already slapped a US$300 price tag on its 7in Iconia Tab A100, and while we initially thought it would arrive in April, it's still yet to show its face in the UK. Three months and a few Honeycomb-related delays later and we're finally one step closer to that official release date, which is being touted as 'early August' in the US. No word on a specific UK release date or pricing as of yet, but it will hopefully be rolled out in our neck of the woods shortly after. Read more...
Denon CEOL Music System reveals dark side with CEOL Noir
Back in February, we raved, yes raved, about Denon's CEOL RCD-N7 hi-fi and it's back on our radar but this time it's a bit more mysterious – Noir, even. The gloss black CEOL Noir shares the same AirPlay, internet radio and network music streaming capabilities as the shiny white original and will be on sale for £500, without speakers, come September. That should chime with our gothic autumn wardrobe nicely.