The week in gadgets


15 Nov 2010

A look at gadget, game and geek happenings in the week ahead.

So will we get iOS 4.2 this week?

Apple’s expected November launch of iOS 4.2, which will transform the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with numerous new features and capabilities, appears to be delayed and the question is will it launch this week?

Apple’s planned launch of its new mobile operating system iOS 4.2 on Friday is rumoured to have been postponed due to last-minute Wi-Fi issues with the iPad.

Last week, Apple intended to launch a flurry of new products, including Mac OS X 10.6.5, iTunes 10.1 and iOS 4.2, which would have brought multi-tasking and folders to the iPad.

Mac OS X 10.6.5 was released on Wednesday – without AirPrint functionality – but so far iOS 4.2 and iTunes 10.1 have been held back.

According to a report on MacStories, iOS 4.2 has been delayed by last-minute Wi-Fi connection issues discovered by developers who were given the Gold Master (GM) build of the software.

The problem that is occurring is the connection keeps dropping after the iPad successfully connects to a local network.

Kinect with the future of gaming

Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensor device may have gotten mixed reviews at launch, but in Siliconrepublic’s mind, it is probably one of the most profound innovations to come from the Xbox camp since Halo came along.

In our review last week, Siliconrepublic editor John Kennedy wrote: “The Kinect is a masterpiece of technology and the lack of a controller in your hand is actually quite liberating. The other fantastic thing about the Kinect that people need to realise is if you’re an Xbox LIVE user, the Kinect doubles as a way to control your music and movies. I tried this out and was able to pass a movie with the swipe of my hand and flick through various scenes as if I was Tom Cruise in Minority Report. Other things to bear in mind is additional content through services like Last.fm, where with a wave of their hand or a voice command, users can play, skip, ban and love tracks.”

The question now will be how much stock will be guaranteed in the run up to Christmas.

The top 10 gaming innovations

In tandem with the launch of Microsoft’s Kinect, Siliconrepublic this weekend took a look at the top 10 gaming innovations of the last decade.

These included haptic technology, Wolfenstein in 3D, the Sega Mega-drive, the analog joystick, the onset of Open World, the Nintendo Gameboy, the Atari 2,600 and of course motion gaming.

Check it out here.

Experience the Xperia X8

Siliconrepublic cast its reviewing eye over the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8. Laura O’Brien said the Experia X8 aims to offer smartphone capabilities at an affordable cost.

“The Xperia X8, given to us by Carphone Warehouse, sits between the X10 and X10 mini in terms of size. It offers a 3-inch, 16-million colours TFT display, which is quite vibrant. It’s pretty light, though a little thicker than most smartphones. I tested out the white version, which has a matte cover that doesn’t catch fingerprints. It has three main slim, raised silver buttons – a menu button, a home button and a cancel button, which look and feel great.”

Summing up, O’Brien said: “The Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 has a lot of great individual features. Timescape is useful for consolidating chat and the phone itself is fast and easy to use. It does fall down in a few key areas though, particularly in having an older version of Android. That said, at its price, it’s a great handset for someone who doesn’t have a lot of cash, but wants a phone with good social integration and internet connectivity.”

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 costs from €129.99 from prepay and from free on billpay. Available at Carphone Warehouse, Meteor and O2.