News- iPhone 4 Revealed

We all knew it was coming, but Steve Jobs finally officially announced the much sought after iPhone 4 at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) this evening. Also detailed were plans of its 24^th June release date in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan, with pre-orders taking place from the 15^th. No official UK prices have been confirmed, although the US 16GB and 32GB models are expected to retail at $199 and $299 respectively.

Not settling to the standard tilt functionality afforded with the previous iPhone's accelerometer, the new model will also feature a three-axis gyroscope that delivers superior motion-sensing capabilities that Jobs described as being “perfect for gaming”. In addition, the new iPhone will be 24% thinner than the 3GS, have 4x the screen resolution compared to the 3GS, have a more substantial battery running time, as well as all the power that comes with Apple's 'A4 processor'- the same as used in the iPad. The inclusion of OS 4 means the iPhone will finally also acquire the ability to perform 'multi-tasking'.

Now featuring two cameras (rear and front- for video conferencing), the main of which is a 5-megapixel cam with a backside illuminated sensor, 5x digital zoom and flash. And what's really impressive is how it can capture 720p HD video at 30fps. Not only that, but the iMovie app (available at a meagre $4.99) allows users to edit video, adding titles etc. before giving the ability to e-mail said video straight from the phone.

Oh, and that stainless steel band around the phone is designed to boost the antenna signal, improving such signals as GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The announcement and the detailed improvements to the already substantial iPhone platform are nothing short of spectacular. I'm eager to see what price the UK will be receiving it at, but I'm more than tempted to place my pre-order straight away. It presents much more interest for me than the recent release of the iPad which is way too over-priced for what it can provide, in my opinion. 

News- Keyboard set for Rock Band 3?

Well it was the next logical instrument to be included in the band platter of plastic peripherals, but now it seems our dreams as rhythm action Gods has been delivered the addition of a keyboard to sink our teeth into. Downloading the demo of Green Day Rock Band will feature this teaser screen (picture below) upon loading. A teaser for the hugely anticipated Rock Band 3 and a precursor to the addition of the keyboard. In addition, the 'vocal harmonies' logo is also shown which is expected to be carried over from The Beatles Rock Band into the main game.

It should be a nice addition to the stagnating genre and will most likely be emptying our wallets of any cash upon its arrival. The thought of having some awesome keyboard solos and backing strokes added to the band is great and I'm excited about getting to grips with yet another system of play. But please, lets leave it there.

News- PSN to go premium?

Details have fluttered site to site today as the oh-so-long rumoured but often avoided topic of a subscription based model for the Playstation Network (PSN), have been detailed by an “unnamed” source at VG247. To cut the long story short, Sony are suspected to officially announce specifically what the service will afford us gamers at E3 this June, although the source at VG247 has indicated that the monetizing of PSN will not hinder any online functionality that is currently available for free and will not discount any further improvements that are expected to the service, such as cross-game voice chat.

What is expected to be included within the subscription model (of “less than £50 a year”) is a choice and download of one of the pre-picked PSN titles available for that month (“two to four”), along with the ability to stream music straight from Sony's music library to play in or out of games.

We'll have to wait until E3 to get a broader sense of what the package really provides, although I like the idea of streaming music seamlessly whether in-game or on the XMB. The Xbox 'LastFM' app, in contrast (and to its detriment, in my opinion) could only be run by itself, so it's nice to see the integration in place that could raise its quality. Whether it's worth the expected value of £50 per annum is another matter entirely and could come down to the quality of PSN titles that are made available month to month. I'd love to see a mix of indie titles and bigger downloadable titles offered every other month which would give indie developers as much exposure as some of the big boys and could be a 'win-win' situation for all involved. Nevertheless, it has been coming for quite some time and I wish Sony the best in competing with XBL.