The company announced thus far that the device will be released “later this year”. If this release is meant to coincide with several games that have been announced for the system already, this timeframe suggests the holiday season – and if it’s prepared to be released at the same time as major titles like Call of Duty: Ghosts, it’ll be out in November.

As Ghosts is set to be released on the 5th of November, and that timeframe is essentially perfect for a holiday gift-giving release, gamers can pretty much bank on the idea that they’ll be waiting at least a few more months before the final device is on the market. The fact that the console and peripherals shown yesterday were still being called “prototypes” by Microsoft handlers on-site also lends to the idea that the Xbox One wont be coming extremely soon.

Microsoft has made it clear that the showing yesterday – a mere one hour long – was only the first installment of at least 2 showings the device and the games that’ll work with it will be getting. The second showing will be at the gaming convention E3 2013.

At E3, not just Microsoft, but gaming developers galore will be showing their wares to the public. This convention traditionally plays host to the largest announcements of the year – but here in 2013, hardware and software companies have begun to get wise about their individual event power in the press. Microsoft and Sony (with their PlayStation 4) have decidedly split things up to have as much potential staying power as possible.

Gamescom will also be taking place starting on the 21st of August until the 25th – this is a less likely place for Microsoft and Sony to show off any major announcements, but sits in second place nontheless. E3 will take place June 11th through the 13th, and you can count SlashGear in for the whole lot – stay tuned!

Pre-orders for the FonePad (not to be confused with the PadFone) will begin this Friday, with the device hitting shelves in the United Kingdom a couple weeks later on April 26. The tablet/smartphone hybrid runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and sports a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 framed in a body that weighs only 380 grams, a nice light weight for something this large.

Under the hood, users will find a single-core 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor and 1GB of RAM, as well as 16GB of internal storage space and a microSD slot for expansion. There’s 10-point touch support, as well as 3G and HSPA+ for the non-WiFi model. At some point we’ll be seeing an 8GB model hitting shelves, too. You can check out our hands-on review of the slate here.

And as we’re sure you noticed, the price is excellent, undercutting the newly announced Galaxy Note 8.0, which has a said price of $399 for the US. The ASUS FonePad 7, priced at £179.99, would be about $275 USD, a drop of more than $100 over Samsung’s competing device, making a pretty good deal for those in the market.

[via Android Community]

As the Samsung Galaxy Note II will cost you right around $199.99 here in the USA on-contract and brand new, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that the HTC One will be arriving at that price as well. It’s been tipped once or twice in the past few weeks (even before the reveal of the device itself) that the HTC One would be coming in more than one variant (different internal storage sizes, that is), for prices between $199.99 and $299.99 on-contract.

When the HTC One X was launched last year on AT&T, the device arrived for $199.99, and the carrier currently has new models available for $299.99 on-contract. As the HTC One will not be coming in a 16GB version (at least to AT&T), we’ll be seeing a $199.99 price point at least – perhaps $249.99 with the 32GB right out of the box. Then there’s the release date question.

Earlier today we received confirmation from HTC that the March 15th release date in the UK would be pushed back:

“We will start fulfilling pre-orders by end March in certain markets and will roll out to more markets as we approach April.” – HTC

With this release date pushed back, it’s possible that the USA will not be getting their models in until April at the earliest. With a release inside April, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 will certainly be approaching the same timeframe for market rollout across the United States – not to mention the rest of the world. The Samsung Galaxy S4 will also quite likely have a pricing structure not unlike the Galaxy Note II, especially given the rumored specifications placing its processor at a higher point than that already-beastly handset.

Have a peek at our collection of recent HTC One hands-on experiences, analysis, and news bits to keep up on the release, and get pumped up about rolling out with one yourself – soon!

According to CNET, several Microsoft retail store employees expect the Surface Pro tablet to make its appearance at the end of the month. Starting at $899, the Surface Pro will sport an Intel Core i5 processor and a 1080p HD display. It will also run a full version of Windows 8, unlike the Surface RT running on tablet-optimized Windows RT.

Microsoft originally opened up pre-orders for its Surface RT tablet 10 days before the tablet’s release on October 26. If the company is to follow a similar pattern, then we’ll likely see an official announcement shortly after CES, with pre-orders starting at that time as well.

The Surface Pro will act more like a laptop than the regular Surface tablet, which was more of a hybrid. Of course, you’ll still have the ability to easily use the Surface Pro as a tablet, but using either keyboard attachments will no doubt give the Surface Pro more credit as a powerful laptop of sorts.

[via CNET]

On its own, Heart of the Swarm will cost $39.99 and will be available physically at brick and mortar stores as well as digitally over on Battle.net. If you’re new to the world of StarCraft II, you’ll be able to pre-order a bundle that packs Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm together for $60. Players who pre-order this bundle (pre-orders open up today, by the way) will have immediate access to their copy of Wings of Liberty.

There are also a couple collector’s editions for Heart of the Swarm. The first is the Digital Deluxe Edition, which as you may have guessed is only available digitally. This comes with Heart of the Swarm (naturally), a Torrasque skin for Zerg Ultralisks, special StarCraft II portraits and decals for your Battle.net account, a Baneling companion pet for World of Warcraft, and finally, wearable bladewings and a banner sigil for use in Diablo III.

The physical Heart of the Swarm Collector’s Edition features all of the digital goodies found in the Digital Deluxe Edition, along with a behind-the-scenes DVD/Blu-Ray, a copy of the Heart of the Swarm soundtrack, the compulsory art book, and a Zerg Rush mouse pad. The Digital Deluxe Edition will cost $59.99, while the full blow Collector’s Edition will set you back $79.99. Are you ready for some more StarCraft II action?

The new iPod Nanos are also seeing the same release date as the iPod Touch as well. Frankly, we’re surprised that Apple is taking this long to release the new devices. In the past, it was the iPod Touch and iPod Nano that got released before the new iPhone usually, but this time it’s exactly the other way around.

The iPod Touch comes in six different colors and comes with a lot of new changes from the last-generation iPod Touch. The larger screen and the addition of Siri are two of the more obvious changes, but it now comes with the faster A5 processor and is thinner than ever with a 6.1mm thickness. The camera can now shoot full 1080p HD video and the device even comes with a “Loop” to attach a wrist strap to.

For what it’s worth, the American Apple website still states “October” as the ship date, but you can pre-order the new iPod Touch if you haven’t done so already. It comes in 32GB and 64GB flavors for $299 and $399, respectively. If you haven’t taken a look at our hands on of the new device, now is a great time to do so.

[via Today's iPhone]

The first set of clues you’re going to want to take a look at is here in a series of videos. What this playlist will show you is a set of science-related sequences that may very well lead up to the pigs bringing on their own inventions for the final game. What we’re seeing here is building – lots of building – and fire – lots of fire. Could the Piggies be racing soon?

They note that “gasoline should never be brought indoors”, this letting us know that there’s almost certainly going to be some explosions happening here in the next chapter. There’s a woodsman cutting down a tree, several airplanes taking off, and a bunch of balloons being left to fly straight upward. There’s a video showing the bottom of a shopping cart, and great amounts of creation.

There are also a couple of comics up made by a couple of talented artists (the massively talented duo of writer Jukka Heiskanem and illustrator Giorgio Cavazzano) who are showing off quite clearly what at least one part of the game will be about. The first of two comics has a young Pig creating a cart that quickly smashes into the ground. The second has a more seasoned Piggie helping the smaller Pig with a new cart, this time working with dynamite jets and an umbrella up top to keep him afloat.

The key here is the phrase “I’m afraid your design is not going to work.” This leads us to believe that this game will be all about building, physics, and crashing – or flying, by the looks of it. Stay tuned as Bad Piggies gets its first big release on the 27th of September – coming up quick!

UPDATE: Right on time – or right after time, rather, Rovio and Yahoo have teamed up to release this “exclusive” video showing off some in-game action. Check the Pig building superstars go at it very much how it appeared they would!

[via Rovio]

The brand new iPod Touch will be available in 5 different colors actually, and two size flavors. You’ll get the 32GB model starting at $299, as well as a 64GB flavor for $399. The main color will be the “raw brushed aluminum” then you’ll get black, red, yellow, and blue. Add in the iPod Touch Loop (wrist strap) and you’re good to go.

Hey did we mention Siri? The all new iPod Touch with its awesome 4-inch Retina screen, dual-core processor, multiple colors, sleek 6.1mm design and more will also have Siri support thanks to iOS 6. Apple has just detailed everything and you can read more by clicking here.

For those interested in the impressive new iPod Touch (or any of the 5 colors) you can pre-order it online at Apple’s online store starting September 14th for just $299. Then we can expect the brand new iPod to hit stores starting in October although an exact date wasn’t given. If that price is too high the previous generation has received a slight decrease in price too. Stay tuned for full details and retail dates.

The next-generation iPhone is set to have a 4-inch display with high definition technology behind the reinforced glass that covers its front. The back will be a combination of aluminum through the center cover and glass strips above and below, while the camera technology and flash have not yet been tipped or leaked in any way shape or form. All of the information that’s yet been released on this iPhone 5 device has only been rumored and certainly not confirmed by Apple as of yet.

The September 12th announcement date has been made official by Apple and we will be liveblogging the entire event right before your eyes. Stay tuned to our live portal to keep your iPhone news fresh and up to the second, and stick to our Apple portal for news up until the event comes down. Also make sure to check the timeline below for other key moments in the pre-event tipline regarding this device as well. The iPhone 5 will be appearing soon, one way or another, so keep your wallets open!

Also note that there’ve been several other Apple devices tipped for release or refresh in the weeks ahead, including the iMac all-in-one computer and the Apple Thunderbolt display. The Thunderbolt display specifically may be working with a new bit of wireless technology connected to the iPhone 5 without the need of the Apple TV. All of this is of course analytics and guesswork until the final announcements are made – stay tuned!

Samsung announced the Galaxy Note II this morning and you can see the full details from our announcement post. Then to see just how awesome this 5.5-inch Android 4.1 Jelly Bean powered Android device actually is you’ll want to immediately take a peek at our Galaxy Note II hands-on. Once you get all excited prepare yourself for a little bit of bad news.

As we mentioned in the announcement post, Samsung won’t be launching the Galaxy Note II in the US right away. Rest assured however that it will be coming, and coming soon. Hopefully from multiple carriers including Verizon. Here’s the official statement from Samsung US themselves:

“Samsung Mobile is planning a U.S. version of Galaxy Note II, which will be available later in 2012. Building on the success of the original Galaxy Note, we’re confident that the Galaxy Note II continues to redefine what consumers should expect from their smartphone and delivers a powerful, innovative and unique experience. Exact timing and retail channel availability is not being announced at this time, we will continue to share information as it becomes available”

So there you have it! The Galaxy Note II is here, it’s awesome, and it won’t be available in the US until later this year. Hopefully they’ll have it out sometime late October and if the Galaxy S III was any indication of how they’ve managed to work with US carriers we could see it launch on multiple carriers. AT&T received the original first, but we aren’t sure how round deuce will play out. Enjoy our hands-on video below and we’ll update the minute we know more about the Galaxy Note II in the US.

Interesting – PDP may have just accidentally confirmed the Wii U’s release date. Of course, since Kotaku originally ran its story, both Nintendo and PDP have responded. Nintendo went with the old standby “we have nothing to announce at this time,” while a rep from PDP said that the company “simply” does not know when Nintendo will be launching the console, and that anything said during the presentation wasn’t meant to confirm or deny any upcoming release date.

That seems like a bit of a stretch, as accessory makers and game developers likely do know when the Wii U is launching, but they’re keeping that elusive date under wraps at the request of Nintendo. After all, if the Wii U is going to be launching within the next couple of months, those who are making products for it need to know when the console will hit shelves. PDP can say that it doesn’t know when the Wii U is launching all it wants, but we’re thinking that the company knows more than its letting on.

So, the Wii U might be launching on November 18. That seems like a pretty late launch, but it should still give Nintendo enough time to cash in before the holiday shopping season begins to wind down. Hopefully the company’s strategy works, because the last thing the Nintendo needs is another launch debacle like the one that plagued the 3DS. Stay tuned.

This device is also going to be available in a 32GB version for $549 SRP, and both versions are going to be available in White or Dark Gray. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is a tablet with many features first revealed on the original Galaxy Note, including a docked S-Pen for on-the-go onscreen writing, mark-ups, and illustration. This device has a 10.1-inch display at 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Samsung’s own TouchWiz user interface on top, and has a lovely 5 megapixel camera on the back.

The Galaxy Note 10.1 will be available at Best Buy, Amazon, Tiger Direct, HH Gregg, CDW, BrandSmart, Conn’s and Fry’s for the same expected prices starting on the 16th, and several accessories will be made available immediately if not soon as well. You’ll find each of these accessories to either be great as replacements or as add-ons to your Galaxy Note 10.1 experience:

• S Pen
• S Pen Holder KitBook Cover in Grey or White
• Travel Charger
• USB Connection Kit to allow usage of thumb drives or USB peripherals
• HDMI adapter
• Universal Desktop Dock

We’ve had a look at the Universal Desktop Dock, a slip sleeve (not mentioned by Samsung for release quite yet) as well as the Book Cover in white. Each of them have been of rather high-quality build and made to last. Be sure to have a peek at the full review of the device (with accessories included) and check out the timeline below to see more recent Galaxy Note 10.1 news and hands-on action!

The bundles in question have been dubbed “First Contact” and “Witness the Truth.” First Contact grants players the First Contact suit of armor and the Negotiator weapon. Both sport a golden finish, with Negotiator capable of “bursting a man-sized organism into several pieces with a single shot.” On the other hand, we have the Witness the Truth bundle, which comes the Witness armor and the Evangelizer weapon, a gun that is both a tactical shotgun and an AL-2g assault rifle.

To accompany the release date announcement, Electronic Arts also revealed Dead Space 3‘s new weapon crafting system. A first for the series, this system will allow players to craft and upgrade weapons using various components (obviously). We’re told that the weapons included in the Limited Edition bundle packs can be used as blueprints in crafting mode, so it sounds like you’ll be able to make those two weapons even more absurd if you wish.

Dead Space 3 has experienced its share of controversy among series fans, as this new games takes the conflict out of space and places it on the frozen planet Tau Volantis. It also introduces a new co-op mode, which is another first for the series, so there are some pretty significant changes this time around. Will Dead Space 3 still be able to muster the excellent review scores the series is known for? We’ll find out on February 5.

This tip comes from sources speaking with iMore, sources they say have been accurate about Apple iPhone release dates in the past. This same informant has let it be known that the “second wave” will also be the one to hit international markets. At the moment the precise international markets this wave will be coming to is not known.

Compared to the best-selling iPhone 4S, these ship dates would be even more intense than they’ve been in the past. While the iPhone 4S was announced on October 4th of last year, pre-orders didn’t come until the 7th of that month. The first round of releases was then October 14th and the second was the 28th, all of these still in October. With the iPhone 5 – or The New iPhone if you like – Apple will bring the device on so quick you wont have time to decide if you actually want it or not – you’ll have to buy it!

As iMore mentions as well, if the company also does announce an iPad mini as well as a refreshed iPad (full size) with new docking ports, this will indeed be one of the most intense schedules Apple will have ever undertaken. You might want to start saving up your lunch money now, ladies and gentlemen, it’s very potentially about to get very intense out there in gadgetland!

With the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions launching on October 31, this means that PC players will have less than a month to wait before their own version of Assassin’s Creed III is released. That’s a new thing for Ubisoft, as typically it waits more than a month to launch the PC version of any given game. That probably won’t do much to make PC players happy given the fact that delaying its PC games appears to be one of Ubisoft’s favorite things, but hey, at least it’s a start.

Ubisoft still hasn’t explained why it delayed the PC version of Assassin’s Creed III, but that isn’t anything new. Ubisoft often delays these PC games without giving any reason at all, leaving us to guess at the reasoning behind the decision. That isn’t a quality exclusive to Ubisoft either, as many publishers like to do the same exact thing.

So, we’ll probably never know why Assassin’s Creed III was delayed on PC, but at least now we have a solid release date for it. PC delay woes aside, Assassin’s Creed III does look quite cool, as it appears to actually mix things up within the series. After three Assassin’s Creed games featuring Ezio, a shake up was sorely needed in order to keep fans interested, so Ubisoft is definitely on the right track with Assassin’s Creed III. Stay tuned for more information.

[via Joystiq]

Despite having that familiar Rock Band look, Rock Band Blitz is something of a departure for the series. Instead of using those clunky instrument controllers required by Rock Band proper, Rock Band Blitz has players using a standard controller to hit the notes. Truth be told, Rock Band Blitz seems to have more in common with Frequency and Amplitude, two earlier Harmonix titles, than it does with Rock Band.

If you’re like me and you’ve spent more money than you care to count on DLC tracks for the Rock Band series, never fear – Harmonix says that all of those DLC tracks will work in Rock Band Blitz. The game itself comes with 20 tracks, four of which were announced today: “So Far Away” by Avenged Sevenfold, “Jungle Boogie” by Kool & The Gang, “We Are Young” by Fun, and “Sing” by My Chemical Romance. Finally, all of the songs found in Rock Band Blitz are also playable in Rock Band 3, so that’s a nice little bonus in exchange for your $15.

[via Eurogamer]

In the video below, we get a five minute preview of Judgment‘s Overrun mode. The video mainly serves as a means of introducing us to the classes that are available for the COG defenders and the Locust attackers. If you’re playing COG, you’ll get to pick from the Engineer, Soldier, Medic, and Scout; those playing Locusts get their pick of the Ticker, Wretch, Grenadier, Kantus, Bloodmount, Corpser, Serapede, and Mauler. COGs are tasked with defending a generator from being destroyed, while it’s the Locust’s job to destroy it. Sounds simple enough, no?

Gears of War: Judgment is the first game in the series that Epic is getting some help on. Bulletstorm developer and Epic subsidiary People Can Fly is giving Epic a hand with the development duties on Judgment, and strangely enough, this is the first Gears game that will be launching outside of autumn. Historically, all of the Gears games have launched just in time for the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, but Judgment is forgoing the typical autumn release date in favor of an early 2013 one instead. Perhaps Epic has something else planned for Gears‘ now-vacant autumn release slot? Probably not, but a man can dream, can’t he?

[via Eurogamer]

IGN acquired the picture posted above, confirming the name and release date thanks to some Target pre-order cards that were apparently delivered to Target stores today. We are hearing from a few sources that pre-orders will start in stores starting May 2nd. If you haven’t been following along Call of Duty: Black Ops II will formally be announced May 1st during the NBA playoff, and you’ll be able to pre-order the following day.

The World at War and Black Ops series are from a different developer team than the extremely popular Modern Warfare series, but still all come from Activision. Black Ops 2 probably won’t sell 800 million copies in the first 5 days like MW3 did, but we can expect it to be wildly popular once released come November 13th and come close. Who’s excited for the next COD?

This is by no means an unprecedented manufacturing line for hardware, by any means, but certainly is a positive note for those making their orders for this odd little monster before it’s been formally introduced to reviewers. There’s already a 10,000 unit pre-release shipment out there, but the second wave has not yet hit. Orders placed after April 18th are being called ready for July and onward. Individual customers will also be updated on their order status as updates are available.

This little machine, for those of you that don’t know, is a computer without a case with a cute tiny Raspberry logo on it that costs $35 USD. It’s designed to be undeniably inexpensive at the same time as being functional, and is aimed at changing the world with that combination. When you’ve got 100,000 orders racked up in ONE STORE before your product is shipped in bulk, you might consider your goal to have been met. We’ll certainly be hearing more from the Raspberry Pi team in the near future!

Perhaps the most epic real-life items you get with this fabulous box set is the Diablo Skull and 4GB USB Soulstone. On this jump drive is where you’ll find the full edition of Diablo II and its expansion pack Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. You’ll have so much Diablo you won’t know what to do with yourself, and all of it on some devilish bits of metal and hard plastic.

Inside the game you’ll be receiving several items for yourself including Glowing Angel Wings, an exclusive banner, and both Bottled Cloud and Bottled Smoke to dye your armors whenever you wish. You’ll be so fancy! You’ll also get a Fetish Shaman Pet for World of Warcraft as well as an army decal and three Diablo-themed Battle.net portraits for StarCraft II. If you weren’t a Blizzard Entertainment games fan before this, you certainly will be now!

Back to the game at hand, you’ll be getting both a behind the scenes Blu-Ray/DVD set showing off the making of Diablo III from start to finish as well as an Art of Diablo III 208-page art book. Finally there’s the music: the Diablo III Soundtrack with 24 original pieces of the most satanic music you’ve ever heard on a single disk. All of this comes in the Collector’s Edition of Diablo III which you’ll be able to pick up for a cool $99.99. Sound like a deal? Grab it now!

This tipster also seems to confirm many things we’ve been mulling over for the past couple of weeks, one of these items being the longer digitizer in a different location from the iPad 2, this possibly indicating an upgraded display for the tablet. This device will, according to this same source, have the capability of recording 1080p video, will have the A5X processor we saw this week, and will come with Siri installed.

The A5X processor, it’s said here, is not a quad-core processor like the A6 is supposed to be eventually, but another dual-core processor with amped-up power and capabilities over the original A5. The A5 currently sits in the iPad 2 as well as the iPhone 4S, if you did not know, and it is the first dual-core chipset for a mobile device made for Apple.

Next we’re to understand that the iPad 3 will be announced on the 7th of March, as it’s been tipped before, and the entire unit will look nearly exactly the same as the iPad 2, save the innards which you cannot see from the outside. The idea that this device will have Siri as well as an upgraded camera seem to be basically granted at this point, while the launch dates corroborate earlier info about the announcement as well as common practices Apple does with the launch of a new product. Believe it all, I dare you!

Check out the rest of our iPad 3 timeline to get all of your thoughts in order and decide before you see it if you’ll want it for your own!

[via MacRumors]

This SSD 520 series from Intel is set to bring faster graphic renderings, data transfers, compiling, and even system boot-ups. As you know, a solid state drive has no movable parts, relying instead on silicon, NAND flash memory specifically, to bring to you a lower power, faster and more reliable solution. This SSD uses an LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor complete with an Intel co-defined and validated firmware release. The SSD 520 series from Intel will bring to you up to 80,000 maximum 4K random write Input-Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and up to 50,000 4K random read IOPS to speed through every day operations.

You’ll also be grabbing up to 550 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and up to 520MB/s sequential writes. The 520 series includes a 5 year warrantee and has been put through over 5,000 tests before it arrives on your doorstep. Michael Raam, vice president and general manager of LSI’s Flash Components Division, formed by LSI’s acquisition of SandForce notes the following:

“We worked closely with Intel to leverage their deep understanding of the NAND flash, ultimately providing a unique and optimized solution for client computing applications with the LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor. Working through Intel’s extensive validation process ensures the Intel 520 SSD will raise the bar in delivering top-tier performance and superior quality and reliability over the life of the drive.” – Raam

The SSD 520 series will come in a variety of prices and sizes, these all based on a 1,000-unit quantity each: 60GB for $149, 120GB at $229, 180GB at $369, 240GB at $509 and 480GB at $999. You’ll be paying something just a bit different when you’re in the consumer market, note that!

In addition to this exit by mister Steve Parker, Blizzard has announced a set of updates to the Diablo 3 world as it exists in beta form. There are currently a set of users out there playing the game, beta testing it to the max to make sure the game comes out as perfect as possible come the day later this year. Our last note for release on this game was February first, mind you, but that being unofficial and perhaps even a mishap made by a disgruntled employee, we’ve got our doubts.

Changes in the skill and rune systems are underway now, with such items as “Scrolls of Identification” being axed entirely. The Cauldron of Jordan and the Nephalem Cube, for those of you who have any idea what they mean at the moment, are also gone entirely from the game along with the Mystic artisan. Sad day! Perhaps the most important change is the ability of the Blacksmith to salvage items in addition to being able to fix up your broken sword. There are also an insane amount of smaller changes being made to the game, each of them listed in Blizzard’s newest post on Battle.net, and if you’re part of the Beta, you can yell and scream all you like in the Beta changes forum, or anyone can of course head down to the Beta Feedback forum and grab yourself a popcorn and watch the show.

[via Blizzplanet]

What we’re thinking this means, that these leaked shots mean, that is, is a release date that’s more than just imminent. What the most recent rumored dates are include an announcement this week with a release date for this Friday, though it’s still unclear as to what this Friday will include. Will this Friday be the pre-release date start, or will we actually be able to head down to our local Verizon store and pick one up for ourselves? Either way, they’re out there now – look!

Also note that we’ve seen the device started up in the wild and flipped around a few times, and that if you want to get a look at the international edition, that’s no problem at all as we’ve had that one in hand for over a week. Check out our review of the international edition of the Galaxy Nexus as well as our review of the new operating system Ice Cream Sandwich (aka Android 4.0) right this instant and tell us the truth: will you pick up the Verizon edition? Cross your fingers for Friday!

BONUS: another leaked video for your pleasure:

[via XDA]

The date lines up with the leaked Best Buy ad we saw a few days ago (sort of) and makes one whole heck of a lot of sense when you consider how long this release has been in the works, likely further back than the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S II. Verizon, if you’ll remember, likely passed on the Galaxy S II release for an exclusive hold on the Galaxy Nexus, Google’s hero device for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Now we’ve got the Galaxy Nexus out internationally while we wait for the Verizon release, and with the rest of the DROID line ramping up for the holidays, Verizon had/has a decision to make – and their choice is clear.

What would you do if your best DROID yet, the DROID RAZR, was just released, but you had another hero phone waiting in the wings right around Thanksgiving weekend? Verizon likely had a meeting in which they decided that the USA would purchase the Galaxy Nexus (or the Nexus Prime, as it may well be called for this release), no matter when it was released. Within reason, of course, and now that the volume bug is squashed and the biggest extended weekend in shopping is nearly over, the time is ripe.

You can head to the source for the full quote from the third-hand quote from a maddened Verizon customer if you like, but you already know what the future holds. Stick around Verizon’s home-page at midnight for your opportunity to click. Also check out our reviews of the Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich to see what you’ll be getting very soon.

[via Computerworld]

You’ve of course got a stereo mic/line input, but you’ve also got USB mass storage, USB MIDI/Audio, and USB memory to keep you hooked up to your computer interface. DC in, MIDI in and out, and so many ports you wont know what to do with yourself. You’ve got nine velocity-sensitive rubber pads on the top for tapping and two external dual-trigger inputs for expansion of your taps. Your effects are controlled by four dedicated buttons as well as two real-time control knobs, and the whole device is perfect for dancing in the dark as its all backlit.

This is what the pros use, ladies and gentlemen. Smack it with your drumstick, tap it with your tips, go nuts with the sweetness. The whole thing weighs in at 5 pounds 9 ounces (otherwise known as 2.5 kg) and sizes in at 364 x 331 x 94 mm. That’s about the size of a record album and a half stacked up to about 15 or so albums. You’ll be able to grab software for Windows Vista/XP/7 or Mac OS X 10.6/.5/.4 if you wish for the USB drivers and the Wave Manager (unless you want some 3rd party software, of course), and the whole setup will cost you a cool $990.00 USD and is available now.

In the past, this design was known as IndyGoGo, and today marks the official start of the final product and name [Swivl] combination going live as well as the first time real video of the device that’ll actually be going on sale are released. The website for this page, swivl.com has a whole new batch of information (which you can essentially find here in this post as well) and the product will officially be available starting in early 2012 in North America. While we wait for the product to come to market, we can take a peek at what it’s capable in the video you see here:

While the device is made for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, it can also hold Android devices under 11mm in thickness and is able to work with mountable pocket cameras like GoPro and Flip. The sensor marker you see in the video works with the Swivl itself, not the smartphone, so you wont have to worry about that bit being compatible – however, there are some video controls on the marker too that only work with iPhone 4, 4S, and iPod Touch 4th gen, so note that. Apple devices can be charged while sitting in the Swivl also.

The estimated retail price of the Swivl is $159.99, and you can reserve one today at Swivl’s reservation page.

As those of you who’ve been waiting for this game for many years know already, this game was set for the end of 2012 already, originally set to release somewhere around when Diablo III would be dropped – instead D3 was delayed until 2012 and Star Wars is now free to become the biggest MMORPG release of the season. Once The Old Republic is released, global support will be provided by the Ireland-based base already nearing readiness now.

BioWare and LucasArts tell us that those that have pre-ordered the game and have or will redeem their Pre-Order Code at the Code Redemption Center at SWTOR.com before the game officially gets released will be eligible for Early Game Access plus an in-game “Color Stone” to instantly change the color of your weapon’s “visual effects.” Your blaster blasts and your lightsaber blades, essentially. Those who wish to pre-order the game still can at the SWTOR pre-order page right this second. Grab it!

While this trailer doesn’t exactly reveal anything brand new for those of you following the development of this film so closely that you saw the picture of Hawkeye played by Jeremy Renner giving the Black Widow aka Scarlett Johansson a hard time after her nudie pics were released, the trailer IS fun to watch. There’s plenty of Chris Hemsworth with flowing golden hair, Robert Downey Jr with snide comments galore, and sneaking, conniving Tom Hiddlestron as Loki to go around for everyone.

Have a peek here in full 1080p:

Now I must ask you, tech and gadget fans, do you already have the two Iron Man movies, one Captain America the First Avenger, and Thor movies on your iPads and XOOM tablets ready for a marathon right before the full release of this movie in May of 2012? If not, why not?! What are you waiting for, a full release of THOSE movies as well? That’s nuts.

ALSO bonus points if you can name the Nine Inch Nails song playing in the trailer – hint: it’s not exactly a NEW song, but it certainly fits the mood.

This phone should be released in 2011, but the exact timing isn’t yet known – on the other hand, this October Verizon Communications President Lowell McAdam mentioned that SIX phones and tablets would be on display at CES 2011 (January,) all of them expected to be in stores in the first half of the year.

Motorola has heard some concern from investors on their Verizon-heavy distribution as they turn into a stand-alone company on January 4, 2011. These investors worry that as the iPhone is introduced on Verizon early next year, Motorola might get pushed down to the ground. On the other hand, Stratton says that “Over last 13 months, they have done a very good job in supporting our business and have worked their way up into almost a preferred vendor. They have been driving our Droid strategy.”

[Via Android Community]

Along with the DIII release in Q4 of 2011 you’ll see the next WoW expansion set for 2012 and the WoW movie and “Titan” set for release at the end of 2013. Over at MMOGameSite, they mention “Blizzard headquarter office went berserk at the mention of the News “Blizzard Product slate leaked” and have ordered thorough investigations on the leak incident.” More than likely this means more than one person’s gonna get the barbarian axe to their career – I’d be cowering in the corner about now.

[Via GamesRadar]

And bonus! Though nothing compares to actually buying the game, running home at full speed, and playing it for a week straight, there are a couple more things. One, customers who purchas Cataclysm at midnight will get a free video game rental coupon, and two, those same customers will get a $5 off coupon for the strategy guide (uh yeah right who would buy such a thing! Me.) Check out the full press release below:

AMARILLO, Texas, Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Hastings Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAST), a leading multimedia entertainment superstore retailer, has announced its plans for chain-wide midnight release parties for the new World of Warcraft: Cataclysm video game. Fans are encouraged to join their local Hastings for a midnight release party on Monday, December 6. Festivities for the night will begin at 10:00 pm and will end after the video game goes on sale at Midnight.

Fans enjoying the festivities and awaiting the release of the game will be able to take advantage of special promotions, including 30% off all used CDs, books, video games, and movies during the release party. Customers who purchase the game at the party will also receive a free video game rental coupon and $5 off the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm strategy guide.

To find out more about the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm midnight release party in your area, visit us online atwww.goHastings.com or contact your local Hastings superstore.

About Hastings
Founded in 1968, Hastings Entertainment, Inc. is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used books, videos, video games and CDs, as well as trends and consumer electronics merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format.  We currently operate 146 superstores, averaging approximately 25,000 square feet, primarily in medium-sized markets throughout the United States.  We also operate a new concept store, Sun Adventure Sports, in Amarillo, Texas.

We also operate www.goHastings.com, an e-commerce Internet Web site that makes available to our customers new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys.  The site features exceptional product and pricing offers.  The Investor Relations section of our web site contains press releases, a link to request financial and other literature and access our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Inside the machine, Sam (son of Flynn) finds a some rather familiar machines flying around with some new additions: ladies who approach him, laser his clothing off, and put on him an official suit, for example. He finds his father and they share a loving embrace, followed by an explanation of “The Grid”, or what I’ve been calling “the machine.” A place of infinite possibility in green, black, and orange. WATCH IT IN HD. [PS- this movie comes out in U.S. theaters on Dec. 17, 2010 in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.]

First there’s Gods vs Humans, playable by 1 or 2 players, rated E for everyone, costing 1,200 Wii points. Play as gods from mythologies from Scandinavia, Egypt, Rome and Japan, ruling over humans who would obey – those rebels who would defy you, you must crush! But don’t kill them, you need the humans to believe in you in order to win. Sixteen gods to be, 4 bosses to beat, 60 levels to play, 16 bonus challenges to meet. Solo or split-screen two-player mode.

Then there’s Mix Superstar, playable by 1 player only, rated E for everyone, costing 500 Wii points. Create and mix your own musical masterworks from your Wii system using 1,000+ Dance, Hip Hop and Techno loops using Drum, Bass, Synth, Guitar and voice tracks. Export tracks to your computer or use the WiiConnect24 system to send tracks to your friends or collaborate on mixes. You can use your Logitech USB Microphone and/or Wii Speak accessories and use your Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play service to access additional loop packs from multiple genres.

Third is GO Series Pinball Attack!, playable by one player, rated E for everyone, costing 500 Nintendo DSi points. Being what they call a unique fusion of pinball, exploration, and shooting, this game allows you to go under the sea, inside the earth, through a jungle, and into space, all inside the pinball universe. Use your pinball to fight enemies, nab bonuses and collect power-ups. (This looks to me like a combination of pinball and brick-breaker – a combination that’s LONG OVERDUE!)

After that there’s Adventure in Vegas: Slot Machine, playable by one player, rated T for teen (because of simulated gambling), costing 200 Nintendo DSi points. This game consists of three playable slot machines: Hawaiian, Pirate Treasure, and Mexican Heat, each of them uniquely themed with music, sounds, and graphics. Number of reels, extra buttons, winning sequences, and custom bets are all included here, just like the real deal machines at any casino. Then there’s a feature in which you can trade your money in for a collection of prizes which you can then… you know… look at.

Finally, there’s Discolight, playable by one player, not rated, costing 200 Nintendo DSi Points. Turn your Nintendo DSi into a disco rave extravaganza! This isn’t so much a game as it is a control panel and lots of flashing lights, turning your handheld into a party animal of flickering colors.

[Via Nintendo]

Web Blaster One of the stories that seems to be blasting the internet to bits along technology lines is the idea that the definition of 4G, as it’s being called by Sprint, then T-Mobile, and soon Verizon, actually isn’t 4G at all. Instead, the term 4G is defined one way by carriers – essentially that WiMAX, LTE and HSPA+ are just as fast as and therefor are 4G, then, defined a different way by the real authority, The International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU has basically this to say: “for a service to qualify as 4G, it must deliver peak download speeds of approximately 100Mbps in high-mobility environments (cell phones) and peak download speeds of approximately 1Gbps in low-mobility environments.” Services including WiMAX, LTE and HSPA+ do not exactly meet these criteria. But does it matter? The people running around the internet clicking upvotes seem to think so.

[Via Zach Epstein on BGR]

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
Palm Pre Plus 2 Pre-Order Available On November 8th [RELEASE]
Samsung Continuum Coming Soon to Verizon Wireless [RELEASE]
Google Apps Device Policy Adds Remote Wipe on Android Smartphone

Android Community
LG Optimus T, Motorola Defy, and the T-Mobile Comet available now [RELEASE]
Droid Pro to have presale Nov. 9, launch date is Nov. 18 [RELEASE]
Archos 70 Android internet tablet ships [RELEASE]
LG Pad tablet set to hit in early 2011 [RELEASE]
LiveView Android display hits UK November 19 for £50 [RELEASE]
T-Mobile myTouch 4G on sale now [RELEASE]
G2 to get Wi-Fi Calling starting Tomorrow [RELEASE]
10 reasons why Android 2.2 Falls short of iOS 4 [WAR!]
T-Mobile G2 [REVIEW]

SlashGear
Supreme Court VS Californian Video Game Law [LAW]
New World 3D Projection Technology
Facebook Presents Single Sign-On. Login, Location APIs, and Deals Platform at Special Event [WE WERE THERE hangin' out]
AT&T tracking network problems with geo-tagged Twitter complaints
Turkey restores YouTube block after videos restored
MiFi OS debuts on Novatel MiFi 3352: widgets, GPS-apps & more
Orange MiFi 3352 gets official, plus 3G-enabled Samsung N150 netbook
App Ninjas debuts Credit Card Swiper for iPhone [RELEASE]
Orb Audio offers up Hammered Earth speakers [RELEASE]
LG Optimus Pad Android tablet coming in early 2011 [RELEASE]
Sony Ericsson LiveView Nov 19 UK release confirmed [RELEASE]
Gigabyte outs dirt-cheap GZ-P5 computer case [RELEASE]
Trendnet’s new TU3-S35 and TU3-S25 USB 3.0 HDD enclosures ship [RELEASE]
Archos 70 and Archos 43 Android 2.2 tablets go on sale [RELEASE]
MacBook Air screen faults forcing replacements [Video] [BUMMER]
iTunes previews triple in length; Apple tells labels to agree or pull their content [BUMMER]

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash]

The FCC filings contain label pictures of the device, as well as a test report that reveals 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi support.  Further details have not been shown, but it has been previously noted to be equipped with a VIA C7-M processor running at double the speed as the XO-1, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of storage, and an upgraded Via chipset to feature a 3D graphics engine and HD video decoding.

Availability of the XO-15 has been kept mum, but the FCC filing is a marker that the device is soon to be released.

Street dates are a pretty serious thing when it comes to the electronics world, or the world of technology in its entirety, and while it may not be totally unheard of for companies like Best Buy or Walmart to break street date on a product, it usually revolves around a video game or movie hitting store shelves a day early, or maybe even just a few hours before midnight the day of the official release. This time around though, we’ve got a full week of separation, and we’re not really sure on the reasoning. It could be just as simple as Sony wanted to surprise consumers with a quiet release, but let’s face it: that’s not Sony’s style.

So what do you think? Did Sony sneak a fast one on all of us? Or are some managers getting a little too antsy for their own good? The answer’s probably really cut and dry, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. But, the most important question has yet to be asked: did you get one yet? Let us know.

[via IGN]

MSI is aiming to ship 15.4- and 17-inch notebooks that revolve around the Core i7 7200M, Core i7 8200M, and the Core i7 920XM CPUs. It’s Intel’s “Calpella” platform that intends to improve upon the company’s current Centrino chipset, and MSI is hoping that the pricing for the upcoming pieces of technology to hit the registers at somewhere between $600 and $900. The upcoming CPUs will offer performance slightly less than the desktop brethren, but will use the same Nehalem architecture.

It’s said that the new Core i7 will improve power management and lessen the temperatures outputted. The aforementioned 15.4- and 17-inch notebooks are set to launch in relation to the release of Windows 7, so if you’re in the market for a new, flashy Operating System and some new hardware, than MSI wants your money. Think it’s enough to earn it?

[via Gizmodo]

The picture was sent to Boy Genius Report and comes from another anonymous tipster from Best Buy. So, as official as we can get for now, here’s the release date for the Zune HD: September 15th. It’s a bit later than had been originally rumored, but at least it’s still September.

Also, the packaging didn’t come with any indication of pricing, but seeing as these images also fall in step with the leaked Best Buy images suggesting $220/$280 for the 16GB/32GB models, things are lining up pretty nicely for Microsoft’s next installment of the Personal Music Player. Now, if we can see some of that Xbox LIVE integration here soon, we’d be happy campers.

[via Boy Genius Report]

The Touch Diamond2 features a 3.2-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 800 resolution. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and touch-sensitive zoom and an 8GB memory card.

TouchFLO received some updates as well including Push Internet. Data is covered by 3G on a 7.2Mbps HSDPA or Wi-Fi. Following the Taiwanese release this month, the HTC Touch Diamond2 will be released in Europe in the spring and in the U.S. in the summer. Pricing is expected to be NT$21,900, which is the equivalent of $647 USD.