Opera Mini on Android and bada OS via Samsung Apps

We speculated on whether the bada OS from Samsung has reached the end of the road just last week, and it seems as though nothing came out of it – so there is still some life left in the bada OS’ legs for the moment. Opera Software has made an announcement concerning the availability of Opera Mini on the Android and bada platforms, where the latter can be downloaded for any bada 2.0-powered device via Samsung Apps, which is Samsung’s very own dedicated application store. Alternatively, you can do so via Kies (the PC software) or www.samsungapps.com for free.

Basically, Opera Mini helps those who are on a pay-per-use data plan the most, as it will have a heavy duty server backend that does all the webpage crunching down to a fraction of its original size before sending it over to your smartphone, letting you enjoy “the super-fast web while staying under your data plan cap.” According to Erick Lee, Vice President of Sales and Country Manager for Korea, Opera Software, “We want to make Opera Mini available everywhere to everyone. For owners of Samsung bada and Android devices, why are you even reading this far? Head over to Samsung Apps and download Opera Mini. I promise you’ll never look back.” Do you think Mr. Lee has kept to his promise after you’ve given Opera Mini a go?

Ubergizmo

No Apple iTV until 2014?

Analyst reckons that contract negotiations with Hollywood studios will delay Apple's rumoured television set.

Apple's rumoured Siri-powered television set, the iTV – or iPanel, depending on who you ask – may take a little longer reaching the shelves than previously thought. JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz has shot down hopes of a 2012 or even 2013 release date for the iTV, pointing to protracted negotiations over contracts with Hollywood studios and the parlous state of the TV market.

"We are not sure that the Apple premium could prevail in the TV market," Moskowitz writes. With the TV market currently in decline, Apple needs to bring something new to the table – "a radical change of the user interface, integration of the TV programming and data content, and use of gesture or voice control."

Citing the long development times for the iPhone and iPad, Moscowitz reckons we won't see an Apple iTV before 2014.

More likely in the meantime, according to the analyst, is an iPhone 5 with NFC technology, tying into an iPay (or iWallet) payment system.

PC Authority

Reverge announces cross-platform PS3/PC play for Skullgirls

When it comes to fighting games that aren’t Street Fighter or Tekken, they’re pretty much a dime a dozen. So in order to stand out, every fighter game that a small studio tries to develop needs to have some sort of really cool distinguishing feature. It could be the art style, the control system, the intensity of violence…or it could be something completely different. Case in point – Skullgirls.

The game is already unique enough in that it has an emphasis on female characters – something that anyone who’s ever had a crush on Chun Li will appreciate – but what’s more interesting is that it will offer cross-platform online play. So people who are playing the PS3 version will be able to seamlessly compete against those on the PC version. This is something you would never see for an Xbox 360 title, even though Microsoft owns both Xbox Live and Games For Windows Live.

Microsoft has pledged not to offer cross-platform play. The company agreed to a pilot test when Final Fantasy XI was released but quickly decided it wanted its online experiences to be closed off. Microsoft has made some solid arguments about the experience for PC and console games and how they are so different that one side would always have an unfair advantage. Nevertheless, Reverge’s game Skullgirls will try to prove that it is possible.

Slash Gear

Verizon to offer texts to 911 by 2013

There are a number of legitimate reasons why someone in danger might not be able to call 911. The person might be hard of hearing or unable to speak, or perhaps the situation is just too dangerous for speaking to a 911 operator. There will be a solution soon as Verizon announced that it will be working with TeleCommunication Systems to allow its customers to send text messages to 911 centers by 2013. FCC spokesperson Tammy Sun was shining about the plan saying that the agency, "commended the company for offering consumers another way to reach 911 that is consistent with how millions of consumers already use mobile devices in their daily lives."

Back in 2010, the FCC itself said that it wanted to bring 911 into the Digital Age by offering SMS service. Outside of asking for ideas and exhorting the carriers on, nothing really has come of the FCC's involvement. For some time, there has been a need to update 911 services to allow those with low battery strength or a poor wireless signal, to summon help. In 2009, two girls stuck in as storm drain updated their Facebook status before seeking emergency help. In another case, a man sent out a tweet to report that a woman was having a seizure because he did not have enough battery life to make a call.

Verizon will be using its current CDMA SMS network to handle the texts to 911 and the service will be available to all Verizon customers sporting a phone that supports text messages and have a service plan that includes text messaging. Ironically, back in January 2011 during a snowstorm in Washington D.C., 8300 calls to 911 on the Verizon network in the area failed which led to an FCC probe.

PhoneArena.com

Microsoft reported to have begun Xbox 720 production

Ahead of E3 2012 Microsoft is reported to have begun production on the first Xbox 720 consoles which are reportedly bound for developers

Despite having confirmed it will not unveil the Xbox 720 during its upcoming E3 2012 conference, new reports have suggested Microsoft has already begun the manufacturing process on its next-generation console.

With Microsoft continuing to prolong the lifecycle of its current Xbox 360 gamer industry blog IGN has suggested that manufacturing partner Flextronics has already started piecing together the console that will eventually rival the Nintendo Wii U and heavily rumoured Sony PS4.

"Prior to reaching the manufacturing stage, Flextronics created a new testing group separate from the rest of the company," the newly outed report has claimed. "This team was solely dedicated to comprehensive marketing, software, and hardware tests of the next Xbox. With that activity concluded, Flextronics started building the hardware."

Whilst it is likely that such hardware will be for development purposes as opposed to consumer release models, the reports, if accurate, mark an important phase in the next-generation console’s birth with studios already confirmed to have been working on future console titles for some time.

"While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon," Microsoft’s head of corporate PR, David Dennis said in a recent interview. He added: "For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360 - and it's the best year ever for Xbox 360. The console is coming off its biggest year ever-a year in which Xbox outsold all other consoles worldwide."

T3