http://itoptech.com Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:08:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We've had more than a few inbound requests today, via email and Twitter, asking a slightly obsessive but completely understandable question: When can I pre-order my freakin' iPad? True to form, the simple answer of "March 12th" is not adequate for the real early adopters, and they ask again: Yes, ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/how-soon-is-now-pre-order-timing-for-ipad-confirmed-530-am-pt/ Huawei had a lot of new displays at Mobile Phone Congress a while ago, and this particular SmaKit S7 Android tablet was on display at CeBit. I heard that the S7 was on display non-functioning, but you can watch the video here and see it function in its glory here. ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/huawei-smakit-s7-android-tablet/ Well, wouldn't you know it? 3D seems to be the topic of conversation here at GDC , and Paris-based Darkworks is making a splash by announcing the availability of its TriOviz for Games SDK. In short, this magical software concoction is a post-process effect that allows standard 2D games to ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/darkworks-sdk-transforms-2d-games-into-3d-games-no-3d-tv-required/ With OpenGL 4.0, non-Windows platforms will finally have access to all the features of DirectX 11 (DX11) hardware. Tessellation is now available (it's the star feature of DX11) for game programmers, but there's also an integration of general purpose computing that is better than in DirectX 11. General purpose computing ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/opengl-4-0-catches-up-with-directx11/ As specumalated in yesterday's Giz Explains, Barnes & Noble is reportedly coming out with an iPad version of their ebook app, which will, interestingly, include B&N's bookstore. Really? I'm not expressing shock at a Barnes & Noble ebook app on the iPad—they have one on the iPhone, after all, and an ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/the-barnes-noble-ereader-ipad-app-is-on-the-way-but-will-apple-maim-it-apple/ Bad news for Dell. Despite the fact that it’s looking like IT spending is increasing, Dell is still suffering from lackluster sales. iSuppli, the company that tracks worldwide PC shipping, reports that in the ongoing battle for dominance in the PC marketshare, Dell has staggered, and almost slipped down ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/dell-stumbles-almost-drops-to-3-in-the-top-pc-manufacturers/ There are two questions I'll try to answer with this quick hands-on preview. Firstly, is SOCOM 4 the true sequel to the SOCOM franchise we've been waiting for? Secondly, does the PlayStation Move controller work as intended? It's hard to answer the first question, especially within the constraints of a ten-minute ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/hands-on-socom-4-with-playstation-move/ Recently I've been preparing to move home and finally did last weekend. Naturally I had to pack up all my musical gear, equipment and of course, my Mac. In the week leading up to the move, I've had my iPhone and nothing else. With no creative outlet and the pressure ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/count-the-beats-inspiration-two-apps-for-the-musician-on-the-move/ WAAAAY back in November, Casio and Verizon showed off the G’zOne Brigade, an ultra-durable clamshell phone with a surprise QWERTY keyboard packed inside. “Push to talk!” they said. “It’s weatherproof!” they said. And then the radio went silent; nearly four months later, not so much as a release date ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/casio%e2%80%99s-ultra-tough-g%e2%80%99zone-brigade-going-on-sale-tomorrow/ Don’t get mad at me— I wanted to go to GDC, but The Man said no. So now we’re relying on CNET to bring us word of Epic Games’ efforts to bring the Unreal Engine to the iPhone . You may not have even played Unreal for several years, ... http://itoptech.com/2010/03/bravo-to-epic-games-for-porting-unreal-engine-3-to-the-iphone/