Sony, in its announcement, stated, “On Sony Computer Entertainment’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems, this rebranding will occur in connection with software updates for these devices.” However, it is not applying these changes to PlayStation Portable accounts for the time being.

Sony PlayStation is facing stiff competition from rivals including Microsoft’s Xbox. It seems like Sony is following Xbox’s lead towards unifying its offerings as an entertainment system. However, Sony needs to do much more than mere rebranding if it is looking to compete with Nintendo and Microsoft. 2011 proved to be a tough year for Sony, as its PlayStation Network was repeatedly hacked and remained inoperational for a considerably long period of time.

RIP PlayStation Network: Long Live Sony Entertainment Network is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Nintendo had recently stated that it is working towards streamlining is digital products. The gaming company is also trying to simplify online purchase feature. For accessing free Wi-Fi, you need to download the console’s browser. After that, you are required to update your system and you are all set to access free Wi-Fi. Your console would be ready to connect even if it is in sleep mode.

You will be able to surf net, play multiplayer online games and download game updates. Nintendo will also offer SpotPass system, which will let you download allied content such as 3D videos onto your handheld console.

Nintendo is also planning to bring plethora of new changes. The company is reportedly testing a new card swiping system for new Wii console. This feature will let the users download online content and pay for them by simply swiping their cared card through game controller.

Nintendo to Provide Free Wi-Fi to 3DS Users in Europe is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

However, if you are planning to buy Kinect for Windows, just be prepared to shell out extra $100. Microsoft, on its part, has clarified that Xbox 360 Kinect is largely a subsidized product, which is not the case for Windows Kinect. Microsoft stated, “Kinect for Xbox 360 is in large part subsidized by consumers buying a number of Kinect games, subscribing to Xbox LIVE, and making other transactions associated with the Xbox 360 ecosystem.”

However, Microsoft has tweaked Kinect to justify the higher price tag. Kinect for Windows come with more sensitive camera, which is capable of seeing objects which may be placed as close as 16 inches. Since, the kit has just been launched, the new apps may take a little time to appear for mass consumption. The sensor is available for $249, however, later in the year, the company will be offering promotional academic price point of $149.

Microsoft Launches Kinect for Windows is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

According to the rumors, Kinect sensor is likely to be placed alongside notebook camera. The notebook is also expected to come with a bit of bling in the form of LED lights right below the screen. Incorporating Kinect technology into laptops would mean that you would be able to operate your computer with gestures like wave of hands or fingers. This development would be essentially very important for letting disabled people use computers.

Microsoft is not expected to produce these laptops under its own marquees, but it is speculated that the technology will be licensed out to manufacturers like Asus. Microsoft is currently busy finalizing Windows 8, which is likely to hit the markets soon.  The company is also looking into the possibilities of incorporating Kinect technology into other devices.

During CES this year, Microsoft announced a desktop variant of Kinect and it is also rumored that the company is working on developing a Kinect enabled TV. Other rumors suggest that it might be working on a set top box equipped with Kinect.

Microsoft to Bring Kinect to Laptops: Collaborates with Asus is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The gaming company said that it is looking to release Wii U in Japan, Australia, Europe and the US before the end of this year. Wii U will come with various new features, while ditching a few older ones. The company will now let the gamers create personal user accounts. This new feature will first arrive on 3DS. Nintendo will also conduct “competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content.”

However, the bigger scoop is that the new controller may come with NFC features. This new feature will help Wii U to “read and write data via non-contact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world.” Nintendo also teased that NFC will enable Wii U to be used for the purpose of making micropayments. It will also help in promoting games with additional content.

Nintendo Wii U to Come with Near Field Communication Feature is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Though, at this stage, all the information floating around is nothing more than mere speculation, but it is still the harbinger of the things to come. The new console may completely reject physical media in favor of cloud streaming or downloads. Though popular gaming site Kotaku claims that the change may be a little less drastic, as Microsoft may decide to forego DVDs but opt for Blu Ray instead of making a complete shift to electronic transfer.

Though most of the rumors are like dream come true for gamers, but there is one worrying aspect too. Kotaku has claimed that Microsoft may decide to stop supporting used games. Apparently, the company has set up a non-used game system and thus will tie games to a specific piece of hardware. This will effectively make it impossible for you to buy or sell used games.

Microsoft is also said to be working on the advanced version of Kinect.

Microsoft Working on All New Xbox 720: Rumors Abound is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

According to the data compiled by NPD, videogame software and hardware market turned over $17.02 billion in 2011. This figure represents 8 percent decline over 2010 figures. However, digital downloads reported 7 percent year over year increase to touch the figure of $7.24 billion in volume.

Apart from top performer Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation also witnessed a good year with 5 percent increase in its sales volume. Nintendo Wii, performed rather poorly with decline in its revenue.

The report also highlighted poor performance of the sector for the month of December, which dragged down the annual figures.  December accounted for only 23 Percent of annual figure, down from last 10 years average of 28 percent share. NDP Group said, “Because of the great slate of content that came to market during the fourth quarter, I had expected December sales to represent a larger portion of total year sales than what occurred.”

Microsoft Xbox 360 Reigns Supreme in Gaming Segment is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

CES is in full swing and today we’ll give you some interesting details on origami laptops, tablets, 4K camcorders and even an Apple rumour.

Right, let’s get this Apple iPad rumour out of the way first. Now, everyone knows that Apple isn’t at CES (or are they?). Well, according to iLounge they’ve seen something interesting from Apple at CES.

The iPad 3. Now before you start the obligatory trolling, let’s just give them a chance. First of all there’s no picture. Ok….. But there’s the testimony of someone who has seen it and works for a reputable publication: iLounge.

Jeremy Horwitz, has been shown what he was a told is the new iPad. What does it looks like? Well, the iPad 2. According to Horwitz, if you had them side-by-side then you’d struggle to tell them apart. The only visual difference was that it’s a tiny bit thicker: 1mm. According the whistleblowers the design changes are more akin to the changes we saw in the iPhone 4 to 4S. Basically none.

The main talking point about the rumour is the screen. Although iLounge didn’t get to see it working (we know) the new iPad has indeed got a Retina display. According to Horwitz and his manufacturing sources they reckon the new tablet will be with us within 2 months under the name iPad 2S or iPad 2HD.

It’s not the first time new tech is shown off behind closed doors, remember the time Reuters saw the iPad 2 at The Daily Launch?

We’d say file this under: just maybe.

Now, for the tech announcements that actually did happen – remember the 4K screen’s that we’ve been talking about over the last week or so. Well, we made a caveat that we’d be interested to know what content they’d show off on these new TV’s as we weren’t aware of any film footage in this mind-bogglingly high resolution.

Well, that’s not true: JVC has announced a new camcorder, called GY-HMQ10, which offers recording at 3840×2160 at 24 or 50p. Even more exciting is the fairly reasonable £4340 price tag and the promised UK release of March. This is a professional offering and is sure to future proof yourself for an expected move to 4K content in the next 18-24 months.

For the technical of you, the new camera is powered by HVC’s Falconbrid large-scale integration (LSI) chip, which has a half-inch CMOS imager with an impressive 8.3 million active pixels.

Product manager, Gustav Emrich. “We’re witnessing the birth of what is destined to become a broad market for full 4K end-to-end production. The GY-HMQ10 is a breakthrough product that opens up 4K imaging to users who previously wouldn’t have considered it.”

JVC explains that the big problem with 4K for video is processing power, but that this is now shifting.

“There just hasn’t been the ability to capture, process, display and record full 4K images in real time until now,” adds JVC.

Lenovo has been incredibly busy at this year’s CES with plenty of smart TV’s and laptops, but, the device that caught our eye is their up-and-coming IdeaPad Yoga. Admittedly it’s not the greatest name, but, just look at it.

It’s a Windows 8 laptop than can also double up as a tablet in a similar vein as Asus’ Transformer, which saw impressive reviews and sales last year.

The current trend of latops sharing design cues from tablets is something we’ll see a lot of in 2012. So expect everything to get thinner and lighter. Essentially Yoga is an Ultrabook laptop that’s as gorgeous as a MacBook Air, but also doubles as a impressive tablet.

The hybrid laptop comes with a 13.3-inch screen and has 10-finger touch capabilities. Although, we fear that it might just be to heavy to use as an every-day tablet as it weighs twice as much as an iPad 2.

Lenovo expects the IdeaPad Yoga to ship when Windows 8 is available commercially, which should be in the third or fourth quarter of this year. The company expects the device to run for less than $1,200.

Razer’s newly announced prototype tablet is getting a lot of coverage and when you first set your eye’s on it you can see why.

Gaming on tablets can be cumbersome and fiddly. Anyone who has played GTA3 on iPad or Android will testify to this. At the moment Apple isn’t making any plans to make a games controller for their tablet, so it’s up to companies like Razer to show them where there are going wrong.

Hydra controllers connected up to a PC gaming tablet certainly appeals to us – especially with some impressive suggested specs. They’ve included an impressive workhorse in the form of a Intel Core i7 processor, and a 1280×800 display. Now you’d look quite the wholly if you popped this out on your daily commute to work. But gaming on tablets is big business, Angry Birds is proof of this, but so far we’re yet to see a hardcore game really find a home on tablets – could this be the answer?

There are also magnetometer and accelerometers thrown in to take advantage of its mobility.

“Adapted from a full featured PC gamepad, Project Fiona’s integrated dual controllers coupled with its advanced multi-touch screen are designed to make complex game navigation ergonomic and intuitive without compromising on the portability of the tablet,” states Razer.

“You’ll be able to carry out headshots and command troops in-game with ease. This first-of-its-kind PC gaming tablet with integrated dual controllers is definitely not for playing casual games about unhappy birds or zombie-killing flora.”

It’s only a prototype, but it’s good see companies trying to marry tablets and gaming in a perfect match for each other without have to dumb down today’s complex triple-A titles.

More CES news tomorrow.

CES 2012 Round-up: iPad 3, 4K JVC Camcorder, Razer Tablet & Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

According to 4Gamer, Sony sold only 72,479 units for the week ending on December 25^th.  In comparison, it had sold 324,859 units during the first week of the launch. If the trend continues, then Sony will need to take some drastic steps to salvage its value. The console is yet to be launched in Europe and the US. The likely launch date for these regions is February 22^nd. Though, the console’s retail price has been set at $250, but it looks like Sony will need to sweeten the deal to drive up the volume.

Almost 75 percent drop in sales volume of PlayStation Vita also points out to a bigger problem. After the dismal performance of Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita’s failure shows that era of standalone handheld gaming consoles may be over. The category is facing stiff competition from other handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets.

PlayStation Vita Goes Nintendo 3DS Way: Sales Plummet is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Not only this, a couple of other scientists have also concluded that playing video games can actually help gamers in increasing their cognitive function.  A study conducted by the University of Minnesota claimed that playing video games may lead to “a wide range of behavioral benefits, including enhancements in low-level vision, visual attention, speed of processing and statistical inference.”

However, the same scientists have also stressed that video games are good only in moderation. Florida State University scientists said that gamers should be particularly concerned about supplementing their video gaming activities with outdoor workout activities. Walter Boot, one of the scientists involved in the study, said “Don’t sit down and play a game. Go out there for a walk.” He also added, “Play these games because they are fun and you enjoy doing them, and let’s kind of wait for more research to suggest whether or not they are actually good for us.”

Guilt Free Gaming: Scientists Say Video Games do not Make You Violent is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com