Fans worried that the next Splinter Cell will be a stealthless shooter will be reassured by this sneaktastic video.

Any time a game gets a sequel, the fans have to deal with two competing reactions. The first is “Awesome!  A new game in my beloved world!”  The second is “Please, please, please don’t screw it up!”  Splinter Cell fans have been feeling both of those a lot for the last few years, as the perfect stealth experience of early Splinter Cell titles became increasingly action-oriented. The E3 preview of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, which featured protagonist Sam Fisher younger and more trigger-happy than ever before, had dedicated Splinter Cell fans worrying that the patient, cerebral gameplay they loved would never be seen again. So Ubisoft has recorded a whole new trailer, showing how the the exact same level as the E3 preview can be played in a much stealthier style.

Ubisoft Montreal set out to make a game that’s enjoyable for both lovers of the patience-rewarding stealth genre and more conventional shooter fans. If you want to race through the game blowing away any dude who steps forward, there’s plenty of nifty guns, contextual cover commands, and gory physics effects to welcome you in. But it’s equally amenable to playing “ghost style,” where no shot is ever heard.

Both trailers showcase a daylight mission, which requires Sam Fisher to make his way through a terrorist training camp full of heavily armed bad guys. The camp was carefully laid out so it would make a good cover-shooter, and the first trailer focused on the upgrades to the mark-and-execute feature; the ability to shock enemies who step near water; up-to-the-minute drone attack technology; and the “killing in motion” combat, which lets Sam run up to an enemy, slash their throats, and move to the next without breaking stride.

The new trailer demonstrates how the very same level could be moved through with hardly a drop of blood on your hands: the ability to silently slice through tents has returned, the ultrasonic goggles have been upgraded, and the designers have carefully placed ledges and crates to allow aspiring phantoms to hide in plain sight. Another new addition are the enemy guard dogs; players who feel no qualm about making terrorists’ heads go pop might be more inclined to let adorable Rottweilers live in peace, creating an extra stealth challenge.

The eagerness to let gamers choose between stealth or action is reminiscent of the great Deus Ex, and its worthy sequel, Human Revolution. The challenge in making a game work in either mode is coming up with levels that are consistently playable whether you’re running or creeping; mazes where you can lure guards with a careful whistle need a different layout from killing floors. But Ubisoft Montreal definitely has the personnel and the talent to make it work, and Splinter Cell: Conviction proved that the series could incorporate faster action without turning into Rainbow Six. Long-time series star Michael Ironside will still be missed. But overall, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is shaping up to be a worthy addition to the series.

Ubisoft’s upcoming Far Cry 3 creates a thriving, massive world, then lets you go forth and kill.

The Far Cry series was created around the idea that while you had a mission to complete, how you complete that mission was entirely up to you. The game, originally developed by Crytek, gave you a big area to roam but ultimately you were still being pushed in a specific direction. When Ubisoft took over the series and released Far Cry 2, that mentality continued and the areas became bigger, but the narrative kept you moving in one direction even though you could choose to go on the occasional walkabout. Far Cry 3 has taken that idea and evolved it.

Far Cry 3 is massive. It features two major islands, as well as several smaller ones that you can also explore. The plot is less structured than in previous games, and it actually resembles Assassin’s Creed in a few ways — at least in the demo that Ubisoft is currently showing off.

Areas will be teeming with enemies, but there are two things you should do before really exploring that area. The first is that you activate a radio tower by climbing to the top, similar to the viewpoints in the AC games. There are several towers throughout the islands, and once you have activated it, the previously grayed out section of the map surrounding the tower reveals what options you now have in that section of the world. The second thing is to find and eliminate enemy strongholds.

These are highlighted by plumes of smoke, and can also be identified by all the people there that want to kill you. While the enemies control these strongholds the territory surrounding them is hostile to you and will remain so until you take the base. And the enemies can be dogged, relentless, and numerous. This gives you plenty of options to practice your murdering skills using one of the several weapons you have at your disposal, but assuming you are tired of being chased like The Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night, assuming all the girls in the 60s wanted to stab John, Paul, George, and Ringo, you need to control the strongholds to have some peace.

Each stronghold is staffed by a variety of enemies which you can use your camera to identify and mark. There is also an alarm that they can and will make a break for once you make your presence known. This means you have options. If you want to take your chances and go in like the Angel of Death you have that choice, but the game isn’t designed in a way that lets you easily crush the opposition. It is certainly doable, but you can’t just attack without thought or you will die quickly.

The better option is to take your time and plan things out. Using a bow you can silently eliminate enemies that are out of sight of others, which may allow you a clear path to deactivate the alarm. Of course, each stronghold is set up differently, with different topography that allows for a different approach. Each base also has a few unique features, including the occasional explosive elements and the odd caged animal. As any gamer can tell you, if you have the chance to unleash a wild and vicious animal on a group of unsuspecting guards, you take it.

After the guards have been dealt with, you then control the area and your allies will appear. This makes things much easier and safer for you throughout that territory, and it unlocks several quests as well. It also opens the area up to fast travel from one section to another.

These quests may range from collecting certain flowers that you can then use in a crafting mechanic, to more intensive quests against enemies. You can also go off and do some hunting. Once an area has been cleared, the map also shows what animal is dominant in a particular area. Like in Red Dead Redemption, animals can be hunted and skinned to earn you money. The money then can be used to purchase items, weapons, and upgrades for existing weapons.

The gameplay is traditional FPS, and it moves very well. The vehicle options felt smooth in the brief demo, and there are plenty of other control options like hang gliding and jet skis. At a glance it all moves and plays admirably, although the demo was brief. Things are looking good on that end though.

The more that is revealed about Far Cry 3, the better it looks. The tower and the stronghold harkens back to Assassin’s Creed and other territory-based games, and that works for the FPS style Far Cry 3 is created around. The missions are going to be what makes this game or breaks it, but the elements for a great game are there.

Leaked hardware specs for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 indicate the smartphones will sport wireless charging capabilities.

At the Nokia World event on September 5, Nokia will announce the debut of two smartphones: The Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. The Verge has the scoop on the hardware specs, and it looks like wireless charging will debut as a primary feature of both devices. 

Confirmed images of the Lumia 920 have been circulating around the Internet for some time now. And from what we can tell, the Lumia 920 would sport a 4.5-inch HD display, but other details have remained behind closed doors. Today, The Verge was the first to report the latest Lumia 920 specs. The Lumia 920 will have a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and come with 32GB of storage. The 4.5-inch display has also been confirmed.

As for the smartphone’s camera, Nokia calls it a “Pureview camera,” which debuted in the Nokia Pureview 808. That device boasted an impressive 41 megapixel camera (which in reality takes 35 and 38 megapixel photographs). But that megapixel monster will not be in the Lumia 920. Instead, the device will be outfitted with an 8 megapixel rear camera. The front facing camera will be fitted with a 1.3 megapixel camera.

The Lumia 820, on the other hand, whose images have also been leaked, will come with a 4.3-inch screen, 8GB of storage that can be expanded with a microSD card, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, and 1GB of RAM. In other words, the Lumia 920 and 820 are very similar handsets.

Interestingly, the devices will be equipped with a wireless charging strip that will enable the Lumia 920 and its Lumia 820 to be charged wirelessly. The technology that Nokia will be reportedly using for wireless charging is the Qi wireless power standard, which makes it compatible with other Qi wireless charging accessories.

It’s unclear at this time whether wireless charging has been built in or users will be required to purchase an external cover for the feature to work. We’re leaning toward the former, and expect the wireless charging pad to come pre-packaged with the smartphones.

We’re expecting that both Nokia smartphones will begin selling to consumers sometime after the Windows Phone 8 launch on October 26.

See pictures of the wireless charging pad below:

Freeverse, one of the great Mac and iOS game developers, has laid off over two-thirds of its staff, and its future is murky.

Anyone who’s been gaming on the Mac platform for a while has fond memories of a burning monkey. That enflamed simian was the host of many casual games with a sense of humor, including Burning Monkey Solitaire, Burning Monkey Casino, and for the Florida retiree in all of us, Burning Monkey Mahjong. Today, it is the rare moment when it’s sad to see an animal not being set on fire: developer Freeverse, creator of the Burning Monkey series as well as many fun games and goofs for Mac, iOS, and Xbox Live, has been radically shrunk by massive layoffs. Most of the original staff is gone, and only a skeleton crew of seven people will remain to support their existing games.

Freeverse was founded twenty years ago, as a Mac-only shareware developer. Their titles were, to be honest, not all that exciting as gameplay experiences — they mostly focused on Mac versions of old-fashioned card and board games, and the occasional simple action title. But Freeverse games had a cheeky sense of humor that was almost unique in the industry. Plenty of companies release casual games with cute artwork, but how many would dare to present players with the absurdist humor of SimStapler, or Jared, Butcher of Song? Dorm rooms across the country shook, or at least wriggled, when Jared opened his mouth and atonal horror came pouring out, and Blockbuster Video adopted him, briefly, as their bizarre mascot.

Gradually, Freeverse developed the design chops to go with their goofy attitude, and the games got much better. Kill Monty was an unsophisticated but gleeful shooter experience, and Wingnuts and Wingnuts 2 were genuinely solid arcade adventures. Wingnuts 2 even won Macworld’s 2006 Eddy Award, and was their runner-up for “game of the year.”

Freeverse soon expanded into publishing, releasing a number of small but shapely titles by other developers, and into Xbox Live Arcade development, porting over Bungie Software’s great Marathon 2: Durandal in memory of the days when Bungie was a fellow gang of Mac devs with a sense of humor. Like many casual game makers, Freeverse found tremendous success creating games for iOS, including the very well-reviewed Moto Chaser and Skee-Ball, the interesting Grunts, and happily, ports of the mind-warping power of Jared and Sim Stapler.

The iOS years were a time of great creating and financial success for the company. Trouble appeared when mobile company ngmoco bought Freeverse for $25 million. Ngmoco announced their intention to bring Freeverse onto a “freemium” model, and to have them release 20 games a year — a schedule that boded ill for any kind of creativity, thoughtfulness, or even basic quality. But while Freeverse’s output ironically slowed under the pressure, they continued to show some of their originality and humor, with an adaptation of bestselling literary parody Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and the vast outer-space sandbox Warpgate. The latter won terrific reviews, but its triumph was marred with a weird save system that required players to give their information to a third party, exactly the sort of corporate shenanigans that happen when a creative company is taken over by a big publisher with a passion for monetization.

The release of OS X Lion brought more trouble for Freeverse. In July of last year, they announced that rather than solve the technical problems the system update had caused for their older Mac titles, they would simply no longer support a long list of games, including their fiery primate standard-bearer. The press release said they were pulling out of those Mac games so they could continue focusing on iOS development, but it seemed like an ominous sign that they had let their old house go to seed. The rest of 2011 and 2012, saw no further releases.

So the announcement that Freeverse was going to be gutted like a South Bronx tenement in the 70s doesn’t come as a big surprise. But it’s still a sad moment for long-time Mac gamers who always felt warmly about the little burning monkey that could. Ngmoco studios VP Clive Downie says that Freeverse remains “a focused team,” and promises further games under the Freeverse logo. But those will be games developed by the much less interesting ngmoco arm of the company. So pour out some staples on the concrete in memory of the good times we had, and let’s all sing a chorus of something in Spanish, badly, that the spirit of Jared may send Freeverse’s soul upon its journey.

Images of Freeverse staff in happier times from Crain’s New York Business

Current Galaxy Nexus 7 models are strictly WiFi-only devices, but reports indicate that Google is launching a 3G-enabled Nexus 7 in six weeks.

The wait is almost over: MoDaCo has learned through an anonymous source that Asus is ramping up manufacturing of a Google Nexus 7  with 3G connectivity. The new version of Google’s popular tablet will reportedly launch in about six weeks.

The current Nexus 7 model only sports a WiFi radio, and costs $200 for the 8GB model and $250 for the 16GB model. If MoDaCo’s source checks out, the only difference that we’re going to see with the Nexus 7 is the compatibility with 3G, while other hardware will reportedly remain unchanged.

The Nexus 7, despite being strictly a WiFi-only device, has sold quickly, with the 16GB device selling out during its first weekend on sale. Reports state that Google was unprepared for the demand and had not projected to sell as many devices as it did.

Google has not yet released official data about the number of devices sold, but in the first five weeks alone, Gartner estimated that between 1 million and 1.5 million units were sold. An educated analysis by Tech-Thoughts puts the total sales of the Galaxy Nexus 7 at between 6 million and 8 million units by the end of 2012. In comparison, the Kindle Fire had sold approximately 5 million units, according to analyst estimates.

With Apple’s still-rumored iPad Mini’s debut projected to occur in October, two new Kindle Fires purported to be announced on September 6, the Lenovo IdeaTab on shelves, and a new Nook expected to be unveiled in late September, the 7-inch tablet space has quickly filled with competitors that could chip away at the Nexus 7’s existing market share. 

If the report of a 3G Nexus 7 is true, the device should arrive well before the holiday shopping season, which should help Google regain its competitiveness even after the slew of unannounced devices by its competitors hit retail shelves. Ideally for Google, customers who initially shied away from the WiFi-only Nexus 7  will return and make the purchase. That said, the alleged six-week time frame would fall on a date uncomfortably close to the iPad Mini announcement, which could spell trouble when it comes to Nexus 7 sales, if customers decide to postpone their Nexus 7 purchase to see what the iPad Mini has to offer.

Two bloggers unwilling to act as brand ambassadors for Samsung were told they'd have to find their own way home.

After extending an invitation for two bloggers to attend IFA in Berlin on Samsung’s dime, the hardware company threatened to revoke their return flight if the bloggers wouldn’t cooperate with its demands. The Next Web was the first to break the disturbing story of corporate manipulation.

The two bloggers, both from India, were alerted by Samsung that they had won a spot on the Samsung Mob!ler team. A perk gained from joining the program, besides early access to new devices, was travel and accommodation to attend IFA in Berlin. In exchange, the company asked the bloggers to do various tasks and write about the new devices announced at IFA. From the very start, Clinton Jeff (one of the bloggers), says the pair made it very clear they were not interested in being brand ambassadors and only wished to act as independent reporters.

In the beginning Samsung was outwardly fine with this arrangement, but as the IFA trip drew closer things began to change. For instance, the bloggers were asked to submit their clothing measurements for an undisclosed reason. They complied. Samsung then requested they “record themselves dancing in front of landmarks” and suggested they bring gifts appropriate to exchange with other Mob!ler members. Again, the pair went along with it. But once they arrived in Berlin and checked into their hotel, it became clear Samsung had other plans for them.

There was a Samsung Mob!lers booth set up and waiting. They were given shirts to wear the next morning at orientation and asked to attend a fitting. The following morning, the bloggers were told they’d “have to be in uniform, in the Samsung booths, every day. Showing the products to members of the press.”

Naturally, since both bloggers had made it painfully obvious they were not interested in representing the company, they again told Samsung reps they wished to act as independent reporters. Jeff was told to get coffee and wait on a decision from Samsung. He heard back shortly after:

“We got a call from Samsung India saying ‘You can either be a part of this and wear the uniform, or you’ll have to get your own tickets back home and handle your hotel stay from the moment this call ends…

A few minutes later, we got a call from the Samsung India guy who said that our flights on the 6th have been cancelled, and that they’re bringing us back on the 1st instead. But this is only if, and only if, we agreed to wear atleast the samsung branded shirt at the unpacked event, and not blog about any of this incident.

None of this should leave Berlin. Or Reach India.”

Unable to pay for their own return flights, the bloggers were stuck. In the interest of getting home, they wore the shirts, attended the events, but would not demonstrate the products.

Samsung was not pleased, but they were given every opportunity to explain to the bloggers that they were to act as brand ambassadors and nothing else. Luckily, Nokia offered to pay for their hotel and flights, allowing them to stay in Berlin and cover IFA as originally planned.

Samsung has since released the following statement about the incident:

“Samsung Mob!lers is a voluntary community of active Samsung mobile device users, who are offered the opportunity to participate in our marketing events across the world. At these events, all activities they undertake are on a voluntary basis. No activities are forced upon them.

We regret there was a misunderstanding between the Samsung Mob!lers coordinators and the relevant blogger, as we understand he was not sufficiently briefed on the nature of Samsung Mob!lers’ activities at IFA 2012. We have been attempting to get in touch with him.

We respect the independence of bloggers to publish their own stories.”

But, of course, Samsung didn’t put the apology to Jeff and acceptance of blame into the public statement.  However, you can read it here, courtesy of The Next Web:

“I would like to reach out to you and deeply apologize to you for your experience in Berlin at IFA. We put you through undue hardship and we are trying to rectify the situation.”

What do you think? Did Samsung act accordingly when alerted to the incident or is it an unacceptable series of events?

Ad network Chitika says Apple's OS X Mountain Lion now accounts for 10 percent of impressions from desktop Macs across its network.

One of the measures of the success of a computer operating system is how quickly users embrace it — that’s why Windows Vista was generally considered a bit of a flop and why Microsoft’s Windows 7 follow-up is viewed as a stronger success. When Apple launched OS X Mountain Lion last month, the company did everything it could to encourage users to jump on board, making the update available to a wide range of recent Macs as a downloadable update that only cost $20.

Ad network Chitika initially reported very strong adoption of OS X Mountain Lion, finding that 3.2 percent of traffic from Mac desktops across its ad network was from Mountain Lion systems just 48 hours after launch. Now that Mountain Lion has been out a month, however, the OS’s adoption rate seems to have calmed down a bit — but it’s still way ahead of its predecessor, Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion.” According to Chitika, as of August 27, Mountain Lion accounted for 10.3 percent of all the hits it was seeing from desktop Macs across its ad network. In contrast, Chitika count Lion took more than three months to represent 14 percent of total Mac OS X traffic.

Chitika’s figures are derived from impressions across its “extensive” advertising network, which the company claims spans more than 200,000 sites and serves up more than 4 billion ads a month. They do not represent official Mountain Lion adoption figures from Apple. The only official word from Apple on Mountain Lion sales is that the operating system sold more than three million copies in its first four days of availability.

Although Mountain Lion has generally received positive reviews, it has also been criticized for adopting too many elements from Apple’s iOS — although it’s important to note that Apple has many millions more customers using iOS than Mac OS X, at this point. Chitika speculates that the rapid adoption of Mountain Lion may have more to do with the low price point and the easy online distribution model Apple has adopted for the release. Ultimately, quick adoption of Mountain Lion and desktop operating systems means Apple can innovate the Macintosh more quickly with less concern about long-term support for legacy systems.

Oracle has issued an out-of-cycle emergency update to Java to patch critical security problems - but experts say there's more to come.

Database giant Oracle has issued an out-of-cycle emergency security update to Java that aims to patch several vulnerabilities that are being actively being exploited by cybercriminals. The update — Java Version 7 Update 7 — closes loopholes that potentially allow attackers to gain complete control of a computer over a network without a username or password; moreover, the vulnerabilities specifically apply to Java applications running in desktop Web browsers. While standalone Java applications and Java running on servers isn’t affected (and that includes Oracles own server-based software), it does mean folks who can run Java in a Web browser are vulnerable — and some estimates put that number at over a billion machines worldwide.

Oracle’s highly-unusual move to issue an out-of-cycle security update comes on the heels of the Java exploits being incorporated in the widely-used Blackhole cyberattack toolkit. Blackhole is a popular cut-and-paste exploit tool that comes pre-loaded with code designed to exploit flaws in things like Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, and Java — it’s popular with cybercriminals who lack deep technical background because it’s relatively easy to use and is regularly updated with new exploits. Kaspersky Labs were apparently the first to report Blackhole had integrated the zero-day Java exploits; the news was quickly confirmed by security firms like Sophos and ESET.

However, the situation is more complicated. Researchers at Security Explorations claim they reported the vulnerabilities just patched by Oracle all the way back in April of 2012 — nearly six months ago. Moreover, Security Explorations claims that the latest update — Java 7 Update 7 — contains another vulnerability. If confirmed by Oracle, that means another Java update could be on the way in days — or, perhaps, in six months.

Java has been highlighted as a potentially massive security threat for years, but it’s only in 2012 that it’s jumped to the forefront of mainstream security topics, first with the Flashback malware that targeted Mac OS X systems, and now with zero-day exploits targeting desktop browsers with Java enabled.

As originally envisioned by Sun, Java was intended to be a write-once, run-anywhere language that would enable developers to write applications that could be run on any computer with a Java VM, regardless of platform. However, while Java technology has found widespread use in servers and mobile devices (the Dalvik Java virtual machine was the center of Oracle’s high-profile suit against Google over Android), the market dominance of Flash and now the ascendency of HTML5 technologies make Java on the desktop unnecessary for the vast majority of Internet users. Most security researchers recommend users uninstall or disable the Java Web plug-in in their browsers.

The current Java vulnerabilities are mostly applicable to Windows and Linux users. Most Mac users are immune from these particular Java exploits, even if they have Java installed. (Apple has not shipped Java by default with Macs for some time.) Java for OS X has not been updated to Java 7, so the only potentially-vulnerable Mac users are folks who have manually installed Java SE 7 on their own.

OLPC OS 12.1.0 shifts the browser to WebKit, adds text-to-speech capabilities and DisplayLink support...and supports the XO-1.

The One Laptop Per Child project might be focusing on its next-generation laptop/tablet combination dubbed the X0-4 Touch (due in early 2013), but that doesn’t mean the organization is leaving its existing hardware to twist in the wind. OLPC has announced a significant update to its OLPC OS that incorporates significant new features and capabilities—and supports ever OLPC machine going back to the original XO-1.

The OLPC operating system is based on Fedora Linux, so the new version picks up a number of improvements from the Fedora 17 (“Beefy Miracle”) release. That shift also enables the OS to upgrade to GNOME 3.4 and GTK+3.x, which are essentially the underpinnings of OLPC’s Sugar graphical interface. Although Sugar doesn’t implement everything in GNOME 3.4—there are no accelerated 3D graphics, for example, and everything is using an older UI mode—the upgrades fix many issues that had cropped up with sticking with GTK+ 2.x, and users should see overall stability and performance improvements, as well as improved software, since apps can access a broader range of current system libraries.

Perhaps most notably, OLPC OS 12.1.0 has shifted away from the Mozilla Web rendering engine to WebKit, since Mozilla has imposed new restrictions that prevent their engine from being embedded in other applications like OLPC’s Browse. The Browse, Wikipedia, and Help apps are all based on WebKit, and OLPC says that should mean faster startups and smoother browsing overall.

OLPC OS 12.1.0 also incorporates text-to-speech support, enabling users to hear any selected text spoken out loud—a potential boon for educators working on basic literacy and language skills. Users can also write to their Journal anytime without having to come up with a name and description for their work before they start. The update also supports SiS-based DisplayLink adapters: just connect the DisplayLink screen before starting up the OLPC, and the system will load the interface on the external display.

OS updates aside, OLPC’s next big project is the OLPC XO-4 Touch, a combination laptop/tablet that will feature a multitouch, sunlight-usable 1,200 by 900-pixel display, HDMI output, an accelerometer, USB, and Wi-Fi, all based around a Marvell ARMADA 2128 processor. Pricing and exact specs haven’t been detailed, but OLPC expects to release the XO-4 Touch in the first quarter of 2013.

Our sources have confirmed: Barnes & Noble will unveil a new Nook tablet in late September, and it could be running on Windows 8.

Weeks ago, Barnes & Noble slashed the prices of its Nook tablets in response to the 7-inch tablet competition post-Galaxy Nexus 7′s arrival. But this strategy was not only rooted in fears over Amazon’s to-be-announced Fire tablets and Galaxy Nexus 7 — Digital Trends has learned that Barnes & Noble will be announcing a new Nook tablet in a press conference that will take place in late September.

The price cut is a first indication that the company was preparing for a new product launch; three weeks ago, Barnes & Noble dropped the Nook by $20 for its 8GB tablet and $50 for 16GB tablets.

Our sources at Barnes & Noble, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed to Digital Trends that a new Nook will be announced in late September and had the utmost confidence that a press conference will be held in the Union Square flagship location in New York City — the same space previous press events have previously been held. The specific details surrounding the tablet’s specs and a solid date for the announcement is still shrouded in secrecy.

The Nook Color was Barnes & Noble’s answer to the 7-inch tablet, but the device never quite left its roots as an e-reader. According to our source, who had discussed the to-be-announced Nook with a Microsoft employee close to the matter, that may change. The existing Nook tablet’s selling point has been the ease of its use as an e-reader, but the new Nook may have a renewed focus on tablet features. If that’s the case, Barnes & Noble clearly has its sights set on competing more aggressively with the Amazon Fire, Google’s Galaxy Nexus 7 and the to-be-released iPad mini.

Based on the history of previous Barnes & Noble tablet releases, we would make an educated guess that the new Nook will be available sometime during the two months before holiday season kicks off. If the device were to hit store shelves in October, the date could coincide with the impending iPad mini announcement — also purported to take place in October. Of course, this means the hype behind the Nook would get drowned out.

With Microsoft’s $605 million investment in Barnes & Noble in exchange for a 17.6 percent stake in a subsidiary, the question that looms is whether the new tablet would scrap the Android OS and run Windows 8. From what we’ve heard, we’re more inclined to believe that the unannounced Nook will run on Windows 8, as many have already speculated. Nothing is for certain until we get that press release, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted on the development.

If you're sick of spam Android notifications then identify the apps responsible and get rid of them. We explain how to find offending apps and stop push notifications.

One of the main strengths of the Android platform has always been the notifications system. Sadly some app developers seem to abuse it in order to spam you with promotional messages, enticements to fire up their app, and plain old pointless updates. The obvious answer is to uninstall the offending software, but what if it’s an app or a game that you enjoy using? There must be another way right? Let’s find out.

Turning off notifications in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

If you’re lucky enough to be rocking Jelly Bean on your Android device, then feel free to dance round the room in celebration. Your task is easy. The fact that Google worked in a system for identifying the app responsible and turning notifications off forevermore in the latest version of Android is a pretty clear sign that notification spam is becoming a problem.

When an offending notification pops up, simply long press on it and App info will pop up. Tap on that and you’ll be taken straight to the app management screen where you can uncheck the Show notifications box and free yourself from spam. It does mean that all notifications from that app will be turned off. As the warning states “If you turn off notifications for this app, you may miss important alerts and updates.”

Turning off notifications in older versions of Android

The horrible truth with older versions of Android is that you are at the mercy of the app developer. Each individual app handles its own notification system. To see whether you can turn off or customize your notifications you need to fire up the app in question and hit the Menu button. You should find a notifications option in Settings. There is no standard, so it could be anywhere, or it might not be an option at all.

Big apps like Facebook have a whole range of notification options so you can decide on alerts, vibrations, and choose ringtones, as well as dictating exactly what should trigger an alert. Some apps don’t have any notification options at all.

Customizing notifications

If you have the option to set a ringtone for your notifications within an individual app’s settings, then you can get around the main annoyance they cause, which is making you think something important has popped up on your phone. Set the same ringtone for non-essential updates and you don’t need to turn notifications off, but you’ll instantly know it isn’t that text you’re waiting for.

It is also a good idea to set different ringtones and vibrations for different things so you have a good idea whether it’s something you need to check or not. Most people have ringtone and vibrate for calls, and maybe just vibrate for texts and emails. You might find additional options depending on the phone you have. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S3 allows you to set up your own vibrate patterns and assign them to different contacts.

How do I know which app is responsible?

Some of the most pernicious notifications, which usually proclaim things like “Win a free iPad,” are not obviously from any specific app. If you’re getting spam like this and you don’t have Android 4.1 then you could resort to using another app to locate the offending spammer.

Try out the free AirPush Detector app and you should be able to identify which app is spamming you with those push notifications. You will have to uninstall the app responsible in order to stop the problem.

There’s also an app called Addons Detector, which allows you to check which ads and tools your apps are using. It can identify apps using push notifications and a bunch of other kinds of advertising as well.

Another good app to use is Lookout Ad Network Detector. It’s another free app that will scan your apps and identify any of them that are using common ad networks. You can find out what information is being gathered and what kinds of ads are being served and uninstall them if you don’t like the look of what they are up to.

Got any other tips? Please post a comment and share them.

Acer plans to launch six Android smartphones in 2013, and one running Windows Phone 8, but not until the second half of the year.

Acer has been selling smartphones for a while, however it has never made much of a splash in the market, especially compared to HTC, its fellow Taiwanese mobile manufacturer.

It’s hoping to change this in 2013 though, and a report by Digitimes says the company has at least seven new mobile devices on the release schedule for the coming year.

These will be split into six Android smartphones and one running Windows Phone 8. The continued backing of Android isn’t a surprise, but what about the appearance of a single Windows Phone 8 phone?

Acer wasn’t one of the four hardware partners named at Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 announcement back in June, but it was one of those who joined up with Microsoft for Windows Phone 7.

Before now, the company admitted it was put off Windows Phone due to its hardware and software limitations, and although devices were rumored, none appeared. Finally, a solitary Acer Windows Phone 7 device was launched with 7.5 Mango — the Allegro, or W4 — in late 2011, but it didn’t set pulses racing.

Therefore, the admission it’ll be concentrating on Android for 2013, with the exception of one possible Windows Phone, sounds like business as usual.

Acer’s ongoing spat with Microsoft

The news comes soon after Acer’s CEO very publicly voiced his displeasure over Microsoft’s decision to produce its own Windows 8 tablets. “Think twice” JT Wang told the company, warning them that the Surface tablets would “create a huge negative impact” on the industry.

Wang’s sentiments weren’t shared by Chen Guowei, Acer’s global smartphone group manager, when he spoke to the press in July. He’s quoted as saying that with the release of Windows Phone 8, “the time is ripe for investment in the platform,” but as its first smartphone to use the OS won’t be out until the second half of 2013; it’s obviously not that ripe.

With nearly a year to go before then, it doesn’t sound like Acer is straying too far away from what it knows. Plus, by this time next year, we’d have expected Windows Phone 8 to have either had, or be expecting, its first major software update too.

Windows Phone 8’s official release can’t be that far away, and with just one Windows Phone 8 handset from Samsung announced, and now one promised from Acer in 12 months time; Microsoft had best hope Nokia and HTC has something special to reveal this month, as the initial hardware line-up appears to need a boost — and soon.