SAMSUNG Smartwatch

For decades kids and techies have dreamed of owning a modern-day version of the Dick Tracy watch, a mobile device that can tell time, make calls, and more importantly, make you look like a secret agent. The so-called smartwatches that have hit the market so far—the Pebble, the Sony SmartWatch, the Fitbit Flex, Nike’s Fuelband—are watches, all right, but “smart” is a stretch. Not one lets you bark top-secret orders at your wrist. As a result, most mobile industry watchers had either written off the category—once seen as the next big thing after mobile phones—or resolved to wait for Apple’s long-anticipated iWatch. But Wednesday’s Samsung event in Berlin brought a big surprise: a smartwatch that might actually live up to its name. The Galaxy Gear is both a control center for your phone and a health-tracking device, but it’s also much more. Think of it as Google Glass for your wrist, or—sure, why not?—the first device that can legitimately claim to be a 21st-century version of Dick Tracy’s “2-way wrist radio.” The Galaxy Gear isn’t a stand-alone device—it’s meant to link up with Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 3 smartphone, which it also launched Wednesday. To answer an incoming call, just lift the watch to your ear and start talking. The Gear also takes pictures, with a wristband-mounted(!) camera that you activate by swiping downward on the watch’s face, and can even shoot 10-second video clips. The watch will also come with Samsung’s “S Voice” feature, its version of Apple’s Siri personal assistant, so you can dictate text messages or pull up your calendar using voice commands (although, perplexingly, you have to tap the watch first to trigger this). Samsung says the watch will also run popular third-party apps, though it’s not clear how usable they’ll be on a screen that measures just 1.63 inches diagonally. One serious limitation: The Galaxy Gear is designed to work only with other Samsung devices. For now, that means the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Note 10.1 tablet, with the Galaxy S4 a possibility once it gets Android 4.3. The Verge's Vlad Savov found the watch a little bulkier and harder to wear than the Pebble, and added that there's "a tangible lag to anything you do with the Gear." More troubling for would-be Dick Tracys, he noted that "the speaker built into the buckle is too quiet and makes the old sci-fi action of conducting a phone call via your watch a possibility only in quiet areas." If nothing else, though, it shows the world that Samsung is not content to follow trails blazed by Apple—that it can innovate as well as imitate.

Payday 2 Launch Date August 13

Payday 2, which was originally slated for a release yesterday, 13 August, has been pushed back to 16 August, due to an error in shipping over at 505 Games. Evidently, shipping a product the day it's supposed to be on shelves is not the best idea. The launch trailer opens to a camera panning through a world frozen in time -- groceries are suspended in midair as a bystander drops the package; and police officers run for cover and return fire. Shattered glass is seen suspended in the frozen sequence as the camera pans toward an escalation of violence as police SWAT teams are seen in frame before the camera pans to a bullet frozen in air, passing through various scenes of a heist. “Payday 2” involves players and their team executing bank heists and robberies. The enhanced game introduces a new mission interface called Crimenet, which will affect how players unlock missions throughout the game.

Google’s Nexus 4 Smartphone

The Nexus 4 now costs $200 for the 8 GB model and $250 for the 16 GB model–a $100 price reduction from before. Those prices aren’t incredible if you’re used to buying your phones through major wireless carriers at subsidized prices, but compared to most unlocked phones, the Nexus 4 is cheap. And it’s a decent phone, running the latest version of Google’s Android operating system. An unlocked phone also allows you to travel overseas and take advantage of lower service prices from local carriers. The only major drawback to the Nexus 4 is that it doesn’t support 4G LTE data speeds, which can sometimes rival the speeds of home Internet service. Rumor has it that a new Nexus phone, dubbed the Nexus 5, is coming soon. I’ll be surprised if the Nexus 4 doesn’t stick around to do battle with Apple, even after the Nexus 5 comes into existence.

Nintendo 2DS Launching Oct. 12

It's hard not to review the Nintendo 2DS -- launching Oct. 12 for $130 -- without seeming a bit puzzled. Forget that there's no 3-D capability (hence the 2DS name). This version of Nintendo's popular handheld ditches the clamshell design. So, instead of opening and closing the handheld as you would with 3DS and earlier DS models, the 2DS arrives with a slate form factor. Nintendo offered a demo of the 2DS recently, featuring several games includingMario Kart, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. While the 2DS retains the same dual screens, the device feels lighter and thinner. Also, will most 3DS games work just as well in 2-D only? Nothing would be more frustrating than buying a 3DS game for 2DS and learning that extra dimension would prove very useful in having a positive experience. At $130, the 2DS could prove a huge seller for Nintendo, targeting customers seeking an affordable video game option for themselves or their kids. Based on my brief experience, the 2DS design doesn't seem to detract from the great selection of DS and 3DS titles available.

Nintendo announces Animal Crossing Plaza

In true Nintendo fashion, the Japanese gaming giant dropped information on a few of the company’s upcoming titles during their latest Nintendo Direct. As usual, Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata was on hand to slightly awkwardly deliver information regarding upcoming Wii U and 3DS titles to hardcore Nintendo fans. The run away success of Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the 3DS has caused Nintendo to open a dedicated Animal Crossing community on Nintendo’s Wii U social network, the Miiverse. The Animal Crossing Plaza is a special version of the Miiverse Plaza that allows users to share content from the Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Players can post messages, QR codes and screen shots from the 3DS game. Wind Waker HD, a game I’m excited for because I didn’t complete the original Wind Waker on the GameCube, was also shown off. Upcoming former Wii U exclusive title, Rayman Legends was also shown off. Levels from Rayman Origins will also be included in the game. The big announcement with Rayman Legends is that characters will be able to wear Luigi and Mario costumes in the game. Rayman Legends is set for a September 3rd release date. Sonic: Lost World was also shown off during the press conference. Nintendo also showed off its Wii U version of Art Academy sketch pad, a Mario Paint like downloadable game that will let users share their art on the Wii U’s Miiverse. Pikmin 3′s photosharing feature and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, were also discussed during the press conference. Pokemon Rumble U, the somewhat strange, hack-and-slash Pokemon title that will feature collectable NFC figures that can be scanned into the game, was also given some screen time. Oh and a little game called Super Mario Bros. 3 will be making its way to the 3DS. Nintendo also announced Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. A Professor Layton/Pheonix Wright crossover game is also in the works.

Elon Musk details 800-mph Hyperloop

Like a giant silver bullet shot from a gun at up to 800 miles per hour, Elon Musk’s Hyperloop promises to transport people (and cars) across California faster than bullet trains -- and at a fraction of the cost. Called Hyperloop, it would entail sleek pods that travel within low-pressure tubes that are nearly airless. 'It’s literally space travel on Earth.' - Daryl Oster, CEO of ET3 Sound crazy? That’s what Daryl Oster said as well. Mr. Oster, meet the competition. Musk is the uber-brainy genius who invented PayPal, privatized outer space through SpaceX and finally made electric cars a commercial force through his company Tesla Motors. In a blog post at the car company's website, he detailed the concept -- after a long night spent dotting I's and crossing T's. The Hyperloop concept is that option, he said, a fifth mode of transportation after planes, trains and automobiles (and boats). He detailed the concept for the Hyperloop in a PDF accompanying his blog post, which explores the entire concept, from concrete pylons to the solar panels that would power the system. According to "Businessweek," which interviewed Musk ahead of his announcement, the pods could in theory travel at high speeds without breaking the sound barrier. “The pod can go just below the speed of sound relative to the air,” Musk said. It's up to Oster and others to turn the idea into reality. See 800-mph Hyperloop transportation system

Apple will launch a new iPhone next month

Apple will unveil the latest version of its iPhone on September 10, according to a new report. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Likely to be called either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S, the phone's release date would fit the schedule Apple has established since the first iPhone was released in 2007. The company has released a new iPhone model every year, and the release dates have all been in the summer or fall. The release date is the most recent, and probably one of the most accurate, rumors that precede this Apple release. Android-based phones like Samsung's Galaxy S4 have put a dent in iPhone sales, while some critics have said the latest updates to the iPhone and iPad lack significant innovation. READ: How Samsung is out-innovating Apple The new iPhone will run iOS 7, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, which includes new typography, redesigned icons and a new color palette. --The new phone will likely be the iPhone 5S and keep the same design as the current iPhone 5. --The company will also roll out a cheaper version of the iPhone, largely for sale in emerging markets. Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller has tossed cold water on this idea, though Apple is known for misdirection in advance of new product releases. --Since there will be a cheaper iPhone, Apple will discontinue production of older models. --There will be at least one larger iPhone model, with a 4.7-inch screen, a 5.7-inch screen, or both to compete with big-screen rivals from Samsung, HTC and other makers.

Google Enters a Crowded Market With Moto X

The time has come for Google, the king of online search, to show whether it has any business selling hardware. After lackluster results selling devices made by other companies, Google is giving hardware another try — this time with a smartphone made by a company it owns. On Thursday, Motorola Mobility, the handset maker Google bought last year for $12.5 billion and then retooled, introduced the Moto X, the company’s first major device since the deal. The phone has all the standard features expected of today’s top smartphone, with a twist: the ability to control the phone by talking to it, without lifting a finger. The stakes are big for Google, and not only because of the high price that it paid for Motorola. Google is enormously profitable, but its growth is slowing because of lagging ad sales. The company has been aggressive in absorbing Motorola. A major marketing effort is expected for the Moto X. “I think we’ve created an awesome company,” said Iqbal Arshad, Motorola’s senior vice president of global product development. The phone, decked out with multiple processors, sensors and voice controls, is landing squarely in the brutally competitive market for high-end smartphones. Motorola’s executives think they have something special with the Moto X, which will be sold by all the major American phone carriers beginning in late August or early September. The phone learns the voice of its owner and responds only to it. The Moto X is a big step in that direction. One low-powered processor in the phone is devoted to processing natural language. The design of the computing system allows the phone to constantly listen for the user’s input and quickly respond without constantly draining the battery, he said. (The phone’s battery is supposed to last 24 hours handling various tasks.) “We want to change the way people call, we want to change the way people search and we want to change the way people navigate,” Mr. Arshad said. Samsung and Apple dominate the market, and some Asian manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE are selling low-cost smartphones and quickly gaining ground in economically disadvantaged markets. Tero Kuittinen, a telecom analyst at Alekstra, a mobile diagnostics firm, said it was bad timing for Google to be competing in the high end of the smartphone market. Mr. Kuittinen said that after Google bought Motorola, it killed its line of low-cost cellphones and “moved to high end, just when the high-end market ran out of gas.” “They’ve really lost momentum, they’ve lost distribution, and they’ve lost shelf space.” Google also has a track record of spotty hardware sales. The Chromebook Pixel, a touch-screen laptop that Google designed and manufactured, is a fancy piece of hardware, but the market for a $1,300 laptop with no ability to run desktop software is unclear. The company plans to offer a broad portfolio of products. Moto X is a high-end phone, but the company will introduce a lower-cost smartphone later this year, said Rick Osterloh, the company’s senior vice president of product management. Motorola may also contribute to Google’s efforts in making wearable computers like Google Glass, or eventually a smartwatch. Mr. Arshad said that the company’s X8 computing system was part of the company’s long-term goal to make mobile devices smarter and fit in the next generation of mobile devices. Now for the Moto X's most serious feat: the 16GB model's launching on all five US wireless operators at $199 (and with 50GB free Google Drive storage) later this summer without carrier customization. We repeat: without carrier customization. To be clear, that means the Moto X will be offered from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular virtually unchanged, give or take a few pre-loaded apps. That's something Google hasn't been able to achieve with its Nexus line. As Ron put it, this widespread distribution is the result of Motorola's longstanding carrier relationships and a product emphasis on the average consumer.