GameStop execs expect PS4 launch demand to 'far outpace' supply

GameStop execs expect PS4 launch demand to 'far outpace' supply

Sony's PlayStation 4 is still months away, but a key game retailer is already seeing pent-up demand for the next-generation console that's likely to far exceed available inventory at launch.

CNET reported Friday that executives from worldwide retailer GameStop are predicting big things for the Sony PlayStation 4, despite gamers being kept in the dark thus far about what the console will actually look like.

During its quarterly earnings call on Thursday, GameStop President Tony Bartel announced that "nearly 900,000 members" have signed up to be notified about the new console, an early indication that preorders numbers could be high.

"Although we have been given no official numbers by Sony, we do believe that demand will far outpace the supply of this product during the launch window," Bartel warned investors.

Wii U disappoints

The real question is whether or not the PlayStation 4 will have staying power beyond the initial launch - a problem GameStop is currently experiencing with Nintendo's Wii U.

Although the Wii U had stronger launch numbers than initially expected, the GameStop president described sales in the months since as "disappointing."

Bartel claims Nintendo's marketing has "not broken through the level that it needs to," citing a need to better educate consumers on the "tethered tablet" concept behind the hardware.

Even without strong Wii U sales, GameStop reported a gain in net earnings to $ 2 62.3 million, although overall revenue declined slightly from a year ago.

Via CNET

Amazon buys Goodreads to boost Kindle recommendations

Amazon buys Goodreads to boost Kindle recommendations

Kindle devices will soon be infused with book recommendations from the world's largest community of reading enthusiasts after Amazon agreed to buy the popular Goodreads website and mobile apps.

Established in 2007, the preeminent social network for readers has racked up 16 million members, who've shared 23 million book reviews, from an overall database of 525 million titles.

Goodreads users can see which books their friends are reading, see recommendations tailored to their own tastes and also track which titles they have read and rated using the service.

In a statement, Amazon said it will work with the Goodreads team to "delight readers," while the Goodreads' CEO spoke of the opportunity to enlighten more readers with informed recommendations.

Sharing passion

"Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading," said Russ Grandinetti Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content.

"Goodreads has helped change h ow we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike."

Otis Chandler, Goodreads CEO, who's company will continue to operate out of its San Francsico offices, added: "People love to talk about ideas and share their passion for the stories they read. I'm incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with Amazon and Kindle. We're now going to be able to move faster in bringing the Goodreads experience to millions of readers around the world. We're looking forward to inspiring greater literary discussion and helping more readers find great books, whether they read in print or digitally."

What will it mean for Kindle users?

The deal is expected to be rubber stamped sometime in the second quarter of 2013. The fee Amazon will pay for the site has not been disclosed.

It remains to be seen how Amazon will implement the Goodreads platform into its existing and vast reviews and recommendations database.

It seems unlikely too much will change for Goodreads users in terms of how they use the service. Amazon, at least until now, isn't known for running roughshod over popular commodities they come to acquire.

TechRadar has reached out to Amazon and Goodreads for further comment and will update this story when a response is forthcoming.

==

UPDATE: In a blog post on the Goodreads website, CEO Otis Chandler moved to assure the community that the site "isn't going anywhere." and that Kindle integration is a long-requested feature from us ers.

He wrote: "It's important to be clear that Goodreads and the awesome team behind it are not going away. Goodreads will continue to be the wonderful community that we all cherish. We plan to continue offering you everything that you love about the siteâ€"the ability to track what you read, discover great books, discuss and share them with fellow book lovers, and connect directly with your favorite authorsâ€"and your reviews and ratings will remain here on Goodreads. And it's incredibly important to us that we remain a home for all types of readers, no matter if you read on paper, audio, digitally, from scrolls, or even stone tablets.

"For all of you Kindle readers, there's obviously an extra bonus in this announcement. You've asked us for a long time to be able to integrate your Kindle and Goodreads experiences. Making that option a reality is one of our top priorities."

Review: Promise Pegasus J4 2TB RAID

Review: Promise Pegasus J4 2TB RAID

Slightly wider and deeper than a Mac mini, the Promise Pegasus J4 2TB RAID has space for four 2.5-inch drives.

Our review unit was fitted with 500GB Toshiba drives, configured as a striped RAID array for speed. A driver has to be installed before OS X will recognise the storage.

The array can be re-configured - and its contents destroyed - using Disk Utility. As a mirrored array, the capacity is quartered, the speed reduced, but protection is added against up to three of the disks failing.

In its speedy striped state, transfer rates maxed out at 482.4MB/second and 538.5MB/second for sequential read and write operations. The average read and write speeds were significantly lower at 330.3MB/ second and 373.6MB/second.

BlackM agic's Disk Speed Test determined these rates to be suitable for working with video of 10-bit colour depth at up to 1080p and 2K at 25 frames per second.

Like many Thunderbolt drives, you'll need to provide a data cable. Apple now sells a half-metre version for £25, and has reduced the two-metre version to £35.

The drive emits a faint hum that will be drowned out in a busy environment, but be sure to get a longer cable to keep the flashing drive activity LEDs out of immediate sight.

Will Windows RT bite the dust with Windows Blue?

Will Windows RT bite the dust with Windows Blue?

Microsoft is about to kill Windows RT, according to a report published today.

DigiTimes quoted "sources from the upstream supply chain" saying that the Windows RT name will be dead by the time the next major Windows update, thought to be called Windows "Blue," launches.

And Windows Blue could launch into public preview as soon as June, according to the latest report.

So why kill Windows RT? We thought you'd never ask.

Let us count the reasons

Windows RT is the heavily gimped version of Windows 8 that Microsoft launched on devices like the Surface tablet.

There are other examples, like Samsung's Ativ Tab, and one need look no further than that Windows RT tablet's fate to understand why Windows RT needs to go away as soon as possible.

Reports at the beginning of March claimed that shipments of the Ativ Tab were winding down for one reason: weak demand.

And given the myriad problems with Windows RT, it's not hard to see why.

For one thing, it's understandable if the average consumer is confused about what exactly they're getting with a Windows RT device. It looks and acts like Windows 8, but it's missing important functionality that even casual consumers will notice.

And like Windows 8 proper, Windows RT is split between two desktops, but one of those desktops is practically useless.

Killing Windows RT would be a mercy.

So what about Windows Blue?

The Windows "Blue" update is thought to be a major overhaul to Windows 8 that will add some functionality and refresh the OS aesthetically.

Screenshots and other leaks have appeared recently, even prompting speculation that Blue is Microsoft's next step in its ongoing quest to make the desktop itself obsolete.

If that's the case, then killing RT with the release of "Blue" and unifying all versions of Windows 8 into one OS - one OS in which the traditional desktop is playing second fiddle - could certainly help with that goal.

Will Windows RT bite the dust with Windows Blue?

Will Windows RT bite the dust with Windows Blue?

Microsoft is about to kill Windows RT, according to a report published today.

DigiTimes quoted "sources from the upstream supply chain" saying that the Windows RT name will be dead by the time the next major Windows update, thought to be called Windows "Blue," launches.

And Windows Blue could launch into public preview as soon as June, according to the latest report.

So why kill Windows RT? We thought you'd never ask.

Let us count the reasons

Windows RT is the heavily gimped version of Windows 8 that Microsoft launched on devices like the Surface tablet.

There are other examples, like Samsung's Ativ Tab, and one need look no further than that Windows RT tablet's fate to understand why Windows RT needs to go away as soon as possible.

Reports at the beginning of March claimed that shipments of the Ativ Tab were winding down for one reason: weak demand.

And given the myriad problems with Windows RT, it's not hard to see why.

For one thing, it's understandable if the average consumer is confused about what exactly they're getting with a Windows RT device. It looks and acts like Windows 8, but it's missing important functionality that even casual consumers will notice.

And like Windows 8 proper, Windows RT is split between two desktops, but one of those desktops is practically useless.

Killing Windows RT would be a mercy.

So what about Windows Blue?

The Windows "Blue" update is thought to be a major overhaul to Windows 8 that will add some functionality and refresh the OS aesthetically.

Screenshots and other leaks have appeared recently, even prompting speculation that Blue is Microsoft's next step in its ongoing quest to make the desktop itself obsolete.

If that's the case, then killing RT with the release of "Blue" and unifying all versions of Windows 8 into one OS - one OS in which the traditional desktop is playing second fiddle - could certainly help with that goal.

Nintendo finally embraces the smartphone with Miiverse app

Nintendo finally embraces the smartphone with Miiverse app

Nintendo, not a big one for embracing the wider world of social networking and web, is unleashing its Miiverse as a smartphone and web-based app, after an announcement at this year's GDC.

The app itself, which will be available to download in May, will let users interact with other Miis in their community while on the go â€" posting comments, drawing pictures and what not.

But while idea of a portable Miiverse will be appealing to Wii U owners, the move speaks louder volumes about Nintendo's attitude to changing times - especially as 3DS owners will be the last ones to get the new app.

Things have been going less than brilliantly with the Wii U, des pite Nintendo attempting to reassure retailers otherwise. But there's no denying that the console has been held back by its lack true 'next-gen' horsepower.

So is this a sign that Nintendo is moving in a new direction? It's certainly possible that we could see the company moving further down this road.

Nintentional steps forward

Investors have been vocal in the past about wanting to see Nintendo port its games to non-Nintendo consoles, despite the company's resistance to do so.

Instead, Nintendo hoped that the Wii U's tablet-style controller would be the answer to an age of second-screening tablet fans, but it still remains limited to use within the home.

With Microsoft planning to make the next Xbox experience somewhat portable with Smartglass â€" and Sony going down a similarly social route with the PS4 â€" Nintendo's announcement suggest the company is making changes to break out of its traditional mold.

The question on our lips now is: could we one day see Nintendo making games for smartphones and tablets? If you'd asked us yesterday we'd have said not a chance, but now we're not so sure…

Via AllThingsD

Will the next iPhone have a wrap-around display?

Will the next iPhone have a wrap-around display?

While we wait for Samsung to finally make good on its word and bring us its first flexible smartphone, Apple might be getting ready to pip the Korean company to the post.

Published today by the good guys at the US Patent & Trademark Office, a new Apple patent outlines plans for a "flexible display assembly enclosed within the transparent housing".< /p>

Basically, it describes a phone with two flexible displays working together. The body would be made of glass, with a continuous AMOLED screen that wraps around the entire device.

Flex it

The patent was filed in 2011 and it's not the first time we've heard of Apple showing interest in flexible tech. The company has also filed a patent for a (very '90s) flexible slap band, as well as a function for detecting capacitance changes - aka squeezing.

It's also what we're also expecting to see on the Apple iWatch when it eventually surfaces. But patents being patents, there's no guarantee that Apple will go ahead with its wrap-around idea.

The new form-factor reminds us a bit of the more ergonomic build seen on the iPhone 3GS - just without any of the actual housing.

There'd be loads more real estate for apps and content too, though Apple will have to work hard to make the flexible tech ideal for watching video if the curve dimensions are very bold. But we're flexible to new ideas.

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