NeoGAF user Hobby found via the official Japanese Nintendo website.

Nintendo hope to end the services on June 28th.

• “Weather Channel”
• “Digicam Print Channel”
• “News Channel”
• Channel “vote with everyone”
• “Everyone’s Nintendo Channel”

• “Mii Contest Channel”
• Data exchange with Wii Friends in the “WiiConnect24″
  Can not be exchanged in the Mii channel “portrait”, Wii message exchange in the “Message Board Wii”, the exchange of messages and data in some game titles.

They don’t specify why they’re terminating these services but the release is filled with thank-yous and apologies about having to end the service.

Tested

The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that was crowd-funded via Kickstarter last August and made over $2.5 million through backers on the service. The technology received acclaim from big names such as Cliff Bleszinski and Gabe Newell and it recently began shipping to developers. A consumer version isn’t available yet but inventer Palmer Luckey hopes to see a version 2.0 reach consumers in 2014.

The RetroN 5 will now support: NES, SNES (Super-Famicom), Famicom, Genesis (Mega-Drive), Gameboy, Gameboy Colour and Gameboy Advance cartridges.

All other specs seem to be in line with what was teased earlier this month for then named RetroN 4. The console will feature a HDMI output and processing to optimise games for modern TVs, both visually and audibly. Hyperkin claim that the audio will sound better due to the machines ability to interpolate samples between existing samples in the sound resulting in clearer and more detailed audio representation. The video will be upscaled to 720p and the user will be able to control which aspect ratio is outputted.

Regarding saves, the console will be able to “freeze” the game at any point and allow you to pick up instantly from where you left off. It will also create a save point when it powers off.

While no release date or price were laid in concrete at the event, the company said they expect the RetroN5 to be in stores for June and to cost no more than $100.

You can read more on the RetroN 5 here on Hyperkin’s website.

Image courtesy of MCVUK

Microsoft has this morning been hit by a security breach of its Xbox Entertainment Awards 2013 service.

The Website MCV was contacted by a reader with a link to a page that appeared to list all those who had voted and therefore been entered into the prize draw. The data included names, gamertags, emails and birthdays.

Those accessing the site were also free to edit or remove each listing.

For more details and info head on over to the source – MCVuk.com

Hyperkin has announced a successor to their retro-gaming console, the RetroN3, called the RetroN4. Changes for the new console include a HDMI output and the ability to reassign controller buttons as well as a new user interface dubbed “Perdana”.

The RetroN4 will play NES, SNES, Sega Genesis (Mega-Drive) and Gameboy Advance games with individual ports for each system’s cartridges. Original joypads are also compatible with 2 ports each for Genesis, NES and SNES controllers. The system will come with it’s own wireless Bluetooth controllers as well. It will be compatible with NTSC and PAL versions of games.

Steven Mar, Hyperkin’s Executive Director , told journalists:

“As this is an ambitious project for Hyperkin, our goal for this system is to combine modern gaming convenience to not only cater to the retro gaming community, but to also introduce a new generation of gamers to the classic games that have shaped the present gaming landscape.”

In case you’re wondering why we’re not showing a picture of the actual console, it’s because Hyperkin has taken a leaf out of Sony’s book and decided not to show the console when they announce it. Instead, they’ve decided that they’ll unveil the hardware at the Midwest Gaming Classic in Wisconsin, USA, on 23rd of March. We don’t have any more details yet but we’re hoping we’ll see a European release for the machine.

UPDATE:

We contacted Hyperkin regarding whether the console would release in Europe, specifically Ireland, and they replied:

“We cannot comment at this time regarding this matter, however, we have been looking into it”.

So that’s not a straight “no”, we’ll just have to cross our fingers and hope they can bring it to the Irish market. Hopefully, we’ll find out more on the 23rd.

Source: MCV UK

Cyrus Saihan, head of Business Development at BBC Future Media has confirmed via blog post today that BBC has partnered with Microsoft to bring iPlayer app for Windows Phone devices in the UK

Today I can let you know that we have signed a deal with Microsoft that will enable us to bring BBC iPlayer to the Windows phone platform.

We will be releasing a shortcut to BBC iPlayer in the near future which will be available in the Windows Phone Store, enabling the BBC iPlayer website to work on Windows Phone 7.5 and 8 via a live tile.

This shortcut will wrap the BBC iPlayer mobile website together with our media player. Hopefully these and other developments will help to expand our online reach further. Our latest figures show that over 650 different device types can access BBC iPlayer.

The news is an acknowledgement of the progress Windows Phone is making in UK in terms of market share, with Kantar saying Windows Phone holds 6.2% market share there at present, converting buyers from Blackberry and Android, with around 1 million Windows Phone users in the UK at present.

Source: BBC

Users will be prompted to change their passwords the next time they log into Evernote and all apps will soon be issued with updates to make changing passwords easier.

As well as apologising for the inconvenience the company takes the time to remind people that these hack attempts are nothing new in today’s world and this is just one of many recent access attempts among technology companies lately – alluding to the similar intrusions at Microsoft and Apple.

He seemed confident that Sony could face the tests posed by the large file sizes and limited broadband infrastructure saying that they were ”challenges that we have to work through”.

Although Sony are aiming their 4K movies to be downloadable, he wouldn’t rule out that one solution might be good old fashioned physical media, like Blu Ray discs.

Various rumours had already said that the Playstation 4 will support 4K video and photos but it will not support 4K gaming. The Verge’s interview with Molyneux seems to confirm those reports.

Nvidia are known for their graphics cards but they might actually make your next smartphone. The Nvidia Phoenix is a reference phone for the time being, but the company looks to be setting its sights on the smartphone and tablet market.

The ideas behind the Phoenix reference smartphone are quite appealing. NVIDIA intends to help partners bring out high-performing Android smartphones at mid-range prices. What kinds of prices? A report on the Android Community news site says “under $300 off contract.” which is around 300 Euro.

Having had a try out of the “Phoenix” a Verge reporter said of the device

“Physically, it’s exactly the sort of frugal, plastic affair you’d expect from a phone intended primarily to demonstrate the strength of its innards, but it is slim and didn’t get hot to the touch while I was testing it using graphically intensive games”.

Manufacturing partners will be able to differentiate by the finishes and materials with which they construct the phone.

“Clearly, and this applies not just to games but to pretty much every form of entertainment, there is a trend to increased digital consumption, and that is happening now on PS3 and will continue and will probably accelerate on PS4,” … “But the primary delivery mechanism for the big games on the PS4 platform will continue to be Blu-Ray discs, for the foreseeable future.”

Ryan also confirmed that some of the upcoming AAA titles for the PlayStation 4 will exceed 45GB, which is about 13 more gigabytes than the PC version of Max Payne 3, which is probably one of the most recent, graphically intensive games on PC at the moment alongside Crysis 3.

“If you go down to Southern Europe, where we have very big and important businesses, it can take you 3 days over a standard internet connection to download a file of the size, and that’s not fun. There are certain gating factors in terms of internet infrastructure that mandate that the disc-based solution is going to be the primary delivery mechanism for the foreseeable future.”

The latest in the Xperia range from Sony the Xperia Z will be firstly available at O2, with a price tag starting from €189. Of course, this price is available only if you sign an upper level contract with O2. In case you don’t want a contract and you have more money to spend, you can choose to buy the prepaid version which starts at €579.

The sad part is that you probably won’t be able to get the Xperia Z exactly on February 28, as the pre-orders are no longer available at O2 because of the lack of stock, However, all other important carriers from Ireland claim that they will, too, offer the handset soon enough. For instance, Three announced the release date as being March 1st.

Meteor and Vodafone are not very clear on the release date, only specifying that the device will come soon, and when those words are used it usually means that it’ll probably gonna take a little while.

A 1.5 ghz quad-core Snapdragon chip powers a slew of onboard radios, including LTE, WCDMA, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and NFC. Onboard storage is limited to 16GB, but a microSD slot allows for up to 32GB of additional space. The NFC chip supports short-range wireless connection to a host of Sony devices, including all 2013 Sony TVs and a new line of headphones and speakers. The 13-megapixel camera is very fast and images captured appear quite, audio quality is crisp, as well.

Most impressive, however, is the 441 ppi display — this might be one of the most incredible screens we’ve ever seen on a mobile device. Colors are sharp and clear, video just about leaps of the screen… it’s really an impressive experience.

In addition to the handset itself, Sony is launching an entire line of accessories designed to compliment the Xperia line. NFC enabled speakers and headphones, Bluetooth smartwatches and a number of docks designed for everything from traditional car dash mounts to handlebar installations are all set to debut in the coming months. It’s clear the company is trying to provide a wind range of accessory options to entice potential buyers.

Check out the a video review from the lads over at Phonearena.com below, this is going to be a big seller for Sony

With the PlayStation 4 having been unveiled during a Sony press conference in New York last week, the world now awaits in anticipation for Microsoft’s response. When will we see the next Xbox?

According to CVG, we can expect our first look this April.

A number of developers and industry professionals have allegedly told CVG that microsoft will hold a conference to reveal the company’s next-generation console this April.

In addition, an interesting domain name registered by Microsoft partner Eventcore, formerly Ustechs, a company who has worked with MS on past media briefings and press conferences such as last year’s E3, was spotted by the NeoGAF community. It reads “XboxEvent.com.”

A senior Sony official also told CVG he was informed that the PlayStation meeting last week had “at first caught Microsoft off-guard.” He added, “we definitely ruffled their feathers.”

While we can look forward to an official look at the next Xbox this April, should the rumors prove true, this year’s GDC in March is also likely to reveal Microsoft’s future-tech, should the company’s engineers and developers attend.

Source: http://mp1st.com/2013/02/24/microsoft-expected-to-reveal-next-generation-xbox-in-april/

So Sony announce the PlayStation 4 without actually showing the console. They unveiled the controller we have all seen and talked about for the last while and they Sony did drop some hints about the system’s specs, but one thing they wanted to make clear was that in a few departments the PS4 outshines aspects of the leaked specs for the Xbox 720.

They’re also using a new combined GPU and CPU shared architecture with supercharged speeds, and the GPU that can topple 2 teraflops. What’s more is that the PlayStation 4 is running an x86 CPU system based on PC architecture with eight-cores, meaning that the PS4 is also an octo-core console.

What does all this mean? It means that both the rumoured specs for the Xbox 720 and announced PS4 are almost equal, but the PS4 may have slightly better specs than its console rival.

Regardless, the consoles are about close enough that there’s certainly not going to be a hardware gap between the PS4 and Xbox 720 the way there was a gap between the Xbox and PS2 and the PS3 and Xbox 360. This next generation will truly be defined by the software and that’s the most exciting part about this upcoming rivalry.

Sony also wasn’t shy about showcasing the new controller for the PS4 with touchscreen capabilities, a sensor bar on top and a home button for easy network and social access. Camera’s in the controller also enable for some truly unique possibilities with the hardware.

Sony has not yet revealed the system’s pricing or availability, but the news is expected to arrive at this year’s E3.

If you missed the live stream, check out the replay below

The big day has arrived for all you Sony Playstation fans out there, It’s extremely likely that anyone who tunes in for tonight’s announcement will get their first look at the new PS console, although whether it will be actually there or just showing us the new product is still up in the air. The size, shape and array of slots, and ports will be of interest, as will the console’s new controller.

The rumour mill has already started churning up stories involving the new PSN paid service and smartphone tethering applications. It’s also highly likely that game streaming service Gaikai will make an appearance – an expectation bolstered by the news on Pocket Lint that Sony has registered domains around a product called ‘PlayStation Cloud’.

While Destiny might not be out this year, it wouldn’t be amazing to see it confirmed for the PS4 and we wouldn’t mind hearing about The Last Guardian too.

Finally we are hoping for announcements concerning pricing and availablity, but we wouldn’t bank on it. Check back below at 11pm Irish time to see the event live

According to the article,

“Industry sources and leaked internal documents suggest that Sony is considering pricing the new device at about £300, more than £100 cheaper than the starting cost of its predecessor,”

But The report also says Sony won’t be announcing the price or the date of the PlayStation 4 at its PlayStation Meeting 2013 event in New York on Wednesday, and will instead be waiting for Microsoft to show its hardware before coming to a final decision.

“Because company executives want to see Microsoft’s updated Xbox before PS4′s release, Sony is unlikely to reveal exact prices or dates for the new PlayStation at next week’s event,” says the newspaper.

The Times also says Sony’s PlayStation 4 will be able to support the “new generation of ultra-high definition [4K] televisions” alongside earlier rumours such as cloud streaming and a touchscreen controller.

Interesting stuff indeed – Watch this space

With less than a week to go to their press events in both New York and London, HTC have released a number of extremely short promo videos for their upcoming super phone the HTC M7 or if the rumor is true, the HTC One. A very dedicated youtube user has stitched all of these short clips together into one complete clip. The video shows glimpses of the chassis of the phone and also a look at the camera lens. Needless to say, J.J. Abrams would be proud of all the lens-flare used. Not long to go now until we finally get to see what this beast of a phone looks like. Here’s the video.

HX-WA30

Perfect for the adventurous shooter, the all-singing, all-dancing waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and dustproof WA30 with built-in Wi-Fi is a small camcorder with some big attitude.

Quad Proof Tough Design for Reliable Shooting in Harsh Conditions

Waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and dustproof, this new addition has been designed to handle tough situations, making it possible to shoot even in harsher conditions.  Enjoying increased toughness from its popular predecessor, the WA30 is set to be a firm favourite.

• Designed for active use, the WA30 can be used to a depth of 10 meters underwater allowing users to shoot scenes under deep water while diving.  Even when users are  not being adventurous the waterproof design is perfect for simply shooting in rainy weather – no there’s no reason to stop filming
• The WA30 enjoys a 1.5 metre shockproof design which prevents damage even when the camcorder accidentally falls from a pocket or bag
• The WA30’s -10°C freezeproof design allows active shooting during winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding
• The dustproof design lets users shoot safely in sandy or dusty environments, such as the beach

Built-in Wi-Fi

Sharing footage is effortlessly easy thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi functions that link with a smartphone or tablet for easy sharing, and live view control.  Recorded footage can be easily played on a smartphone or tablet and the users can also save selected scenes, and easily share them on SNS with drag & drop operation.  Installation of the “Panasonic Image App” allows the users to operate zoom in/out, shutter ON/OFF and other functions from a distance while watching the results in live view on a smartphone or tablet.  Playback of high-resolution photos or videos is also easy on a DLNA-compatible TV without having to insert an SD Memory Card or connect any cables.

Super Slow Video Perfect for Action Sports

Action sports, such as surfing and skiing look great slowed down, which is why the WA30 can record slow motion video in HD. Impressive slow motion video is crisp and clear in 1280 x 720/120 fps HD quality. In addition, 640 x 360/240 fps, and 320 x 180/480 fps shooting are also supported.

 Take Creative Control

The WA30’s Creative Control feature allows users to shoot ordinary objects with special effects to create unique footage.  The Creative Control comprises of 12 filters- Miniature Effect, One Point Colour, Old Movie, Time Lapse Rec, Ghost Effect, Fish-eye Effect, HDR Paint, Soft Skin, Monochrome, Sepia, Vivid, and Soft – for highly expressive video and still images. Recorded data can also be retouched.

 Zoom in and Shoot

Boasting a 5x Optical zoom and 18x Intelligent zoom, shooting far away subjects is effortless and the 28mm wide-angle lens fits more people and more of the background into the frame than conventional models. If users want to capture still images as well – no problems, the WA30 captures 16 megapixel still images.

Eye-Fi Compatible

By using the Eye-Fi™ card, users can save files recorded on the card on a PC, or upload them to SNS via a wireless network. Users can also directly transport the data to their device (smartphone, tablet etc.) without connecting another access point.

RRP: €359.99, available from Panasonic stockists nationwide.

HX-WA3

Sitting alongside the WA30, the WA3 is waterproof to 5 meters, freezeproof to -10°C and dustproof, ensuring it can confidently capture action footage.  Perfect for sun holidayers, winter holidayers, cyclists, walkers and skiers, the versatile WA3 will be used all year round. In addition to its tough design, the WA3 boasts an Intelligent 18x Zoom allowing users to  shoot faraway subjects with ease, and images will be blur free thanks to the Active E.I.S.

Two in One Hybrid Camera

As with the WA30, the WA3 can confidently capture 16 megapixel still images offering users the flexibility of still or moving images depending on the situation. Users can also capture 2-megapixel still images while recording a video by simply pressing the Photoshot button. Highly versatile, the WA3 and WA30 feature the Burst Shooting function which allows the camcorder to snap up to 10 consecutive 3-megapixel still images, which are fired off at 1-second intervals for a total of 12 continuous images in about 1.2 seconds. Perfect for getting good shots of subjects in fast motion, users just fire off a number of shots without stopping, then keep the best ones and delete the rest.

RRP: €319.99, available from Panasonic stockists nationwide.

HX-DC3

The upright DC3 is the perfect lifestyle camcorder to capture all your leisure and fun!  Suitable for active use thanks to the Active E.I.S for blur-free shooting, the DC3 also features an Intelligent 15x Zoom, ensuring users can capture subjects in the distance with ease.

Incredibly slim and compact, the DC3 weighs a mere 162g – not dissimilar to the weight of a smartphone.  Belying its sleek size, the DC3 can record Full HD video (1920 x 1080), 16-Megapixel still picture recording, as well as offering Creative Control and being Eye-Fi Compatible. With its pocketable dimensions and ergonomic design the DC3 is the perfect lifestyle camcorder for capturing those spontaneous moments with ease.

RRP: €219.99, available from Panasonic stockists nationwide.

Toshiba Ireland announced the newest model in its expanding range of tablet computers: the AT300SE. This Android™ powered 25.7cm (10.1”) computing device is ideal for consumers who want to utilise the most popular tablet features. Equipped with the fast and powerful NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 processor and offering a generous 16:10 wide viewing angle display, the AT300SE fulfils users’ main demands from a tablet – from watching videos and surfing the web to convenient e-reading and playing casual games.

Thin and light, stylish and sturdy

Based on the build quality of the Toshiba AT300 premium tablet, the new SE version was designed with everyday and cost-conscious consumers in mind. The AT300SE is easy to carry around when on the move. With a depth of only 10.5mm and weighing just 625 grams, it is almost as thin and light as the AT300. Moreover, its stylish textured design gives a sophisticated look whilst the dotted pattern on the rear provides a sturdy grip. Built for intensive use at home and on the go, the AT300SE delivers a respectable up to ten hours battery life*.

A plethora of apps

The Toshiba AT300SE tablet is powered by Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean – the latest Android™ platform optimised for tablets. Video, music and photo files in a wide variety of formats can be opened and played instantly. Fast and easy access to Toshiba Places allows viewers to tailor their entertainment using a range of video portals, news services, and on-demand film and TV providers and then exchange preferences and opinions with friends. This cloud-based connected platform comes pre-installed and allows users to enjoy their favourite digital material from a TV, PC or tablet. Equally, users access to more than 700,000 apps and games through Google Play™. For fast offline enjoyment of to personal multimedia libraries, Toshiba has again equipped this new tablet with additional external HDD storage capacity via micro-USB port, microSD™ card slot with SDHC/SDXC support to 64GB and Bluetooth® 3.0.

AT300SE specifications:

·       Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean

·       25.7cm (10.1”) LCD capacitive touch display, 1280 x 800, 16:10, CSV, IPS, Wide Viewing angle

·       CPU: NVIDIA® Tegra 3 processor with Integrated Graphics Controller

·       RAM: 1GB DDR3L-1333 (667 MHz) on Board

·       eMMC: 16GB

·       Ports and slots: 1x micro-USB, microSDTM with SDHC/SDXC support to 64GB, headphone/mic combo port

·       Connectivity:  combo WLAN/Bluetooth 3.0./GPS

·       Cameras: 3.0. MPixel (back), 1.2 MPixel (front)

·       Battery: two cell, 25.0Wh

·       Dimensions: 261 x 180 x 10.5mm

·       Weight: 625g

·       Colour: Precious Silver with dot pattern

·       Available accessories: Stand case, screen protector

The Toshiba AT300SE will be available from Q4 2012 starting at €359.00 and £299.99.

The first smartphone to launch in Ireland on the new Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Dublin: 8^th November 2012 – Three, Ireland’s largest high speed network, today announces the launch of the new HTC Windows Phone 8X, the first smartphone to launch in Ireland on the new Windows Phone 8 operating system. This seamless introduction from HTC will be available first in Ireland with Three at www.three.ie and in all Three stores from tomorrow morning in ‘California Blue’. The sleek new handset has an array of key features to tickle your fancy including a 4.3” HD screen which boasts an 8MP camera with ground breaking optics and an ultra-wide-angle front and back. The Windows Phone 8X also has Beats Audio technology promising deep base sound and clearer audio, which will be music to the ears of all music lovers.

When it comes to mobile phones, the past year has seen an increase in demand for larger screens but finding a size that comfortably fits into the palm of your hand is still a challenge for many. At 132.3 by 66.2 by 10.1mm, HTC’s flagship phone is not quite as big as the Samsung Galaxy SIII but is significantly larger than Apple’s new iPhone 5.

The HTC Windows Phone 8X will be available to Three prepay customers at just €459, while Billpay customers will be able to snap up the device for FREE on Three’s Classic Flex plan. For customers who avail of Three’s ‘All You Can Eat’ data offering, the Windows 8X is the gift that will just keep giving this Christmas.

Elaine Carey, Sales and Marketing Director at Three, said: “Three is delighted to bring HTC’s new flagship Windows Phone 8X to our customers. There has been quite a bit of excitement amongst our customers with this phone, in particular the added camera features and built in Beats audio technology. It’s a sleek new introduction from HTC which fits comfortably in your hand and one we’re delighted to be launching just in time for the busy Christmas period.”

For more on the latest handset range and price plans with Three, visit www.three.ie.

Key Features:

• New world class 8MP camera takes ultra wide and sharp pictures in ultra fast capture times, even in low-light conditions.
• A crystal clear 4.3” HD screen.
• The Windows Phone 8X has an exclusive built in amplifier for Beats Audio – allowing high definition, uncompromised sound for all music lovers.

The Dublin Event Guide app is pretty slick, and does what it says on the tin. It’s a really useful one to have on your phone and can be accessed right now on m.dublineventguide.com, you should go check it out and bookmark it!

Heres the official press release. If you’ve any questions give us a shout on the usual channels and we’ll get them answered!

Today, iQ Content, a leading Dublin based user experience design consultancy, launched the world’s first open-source mobile event listing platform, Antenna. This coincided with the launch of its Dublin Event Guide mobile application for free events which is available on all smartphones. Both of these products were developed through iQ Labs, an innovation space that encourages the talented team in iQ Content to innovate and explore new ideas while experimenting with new ways of working.

Antenna is an open-source mobile event listing platform that helps organisers to manage, publish and mobilise their event content. For publishers and event organisers, Antenna is designed to massively reduce the overhead of managing event content, while at the same time help them make their event content mobile, more accessible, userful, and social, ultimately helping them reach out to engage with a bigger audience. For developers, Antenna provides a CakePHP-based development framework to quickly create and mobilise event publications.

Today iQ Content is also officially launching the first mobile application developed on the Antenna platform, the Dublin Event Guide for free events. This guide to all of Dublin’s best free events has been compiled and curated lovingly week-in-week-out for the last five years by Joerg Steegmueller. Previously only available as an email newsletter, the iQ platform has now mobilsed the guide and put it directly into people’s pockets. The Dublin Event Guide mobile app is available via your smartphone browser, or as a native iPhone or Android app.

Morgan McKeagney, Managing Director with iQ Content comments, “It has always been part of our company ethos to give back to the community and we are proud to release Antenna as an open- source tool: free now and forever for developers to take, use, improve and extend. We’re really hopeful that the development community will embrace Antenna, take it, and run with it.” Morgan added, “Antenna is the first step into the world of products for iQ Content and is a very exciting phase for us.”

Ciaran Harris, Director of Innovation with iQ Content added, “Working with Joerg we’ve used Antenna to mobilise the guide, making it even more useful, accessible, and easy-to-use for Dubs and visitors alike. Now more people can find great events in Dublin, favourite them, and share events with their friends, and hopefully enjoy themselves even more in our fantastic city.”