Apple to launch new iPads next month

Apple will unveil the iPad 5 and the iPad Mini 2 next month, according to reports.

It has previously been reported that the company is believed to be preparing another keynote for later this month. However, at the time it was understood that it will be for the launch of OS X Mavericks and possibly some updates to its Mac line up. According to French site MacG – Apple will hold its next keynote event on October 15th. It claims that alongside a new iMac, Apple will also take the wraps off its next generation iPads. It is not unusual for Apple to announce products across two events in September and October. Last year, it announced the iPhone 5 and new iPods in September, followed by the iPad 4, iPad Mini and new Macs one month later. The French site also claims that stocks of iMacs are at an all time low at Apple stores and authorised resellers. Any new Macs are likely to run on Intel’s new Haswell chipset.

GTA V review: New Grand Theft Auto triples the intensity

I had such a fun weekend.

After seeing a movie, I went down to the beach to ride the roller coaster on the pier and go jet skiing in the ocean. Afterward, I got a haircut and bought a new suit, and then I returned home to unwind with some fresh juice and a yoga session in my backyard. Later, I met up with one of my friends for drinks at a downtown watering hole.

I live in Los Angeles, but I didn't do any of that stuff there. Nah, it all happened over the past 48 hours while visiting Los Santos, the virtual seaside metropolis cunningly depicted in "Grand Theft Auto V" (Rockstar Games, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99). Oh, did I mention I also committed dozens of felonies?

For the most part, it's illegal business as usual in the latest edition of "Grand Theft Auto." There are vehicles to swipe, schemes to plan and banks to rob. Unlike previous installments in the wildly successful - and violent - M-rated series, "GTA V" centers not just on one but three criminal protagonists: former partners Michael and Trevor, and their new protege, Franklin.

Nearly a decade after their last heist went terribly wrong, middle-aged Michael is living comfortably bored in witness protection in a ritzy Los Santos mansion, while the unhinged Trevor is dealing meth and smuggling guns on the outskirts of town in Blaine County. Meanwhile, Franklin is hustling on the streets as a repo man for an unsavory car dealership owner.

The three men and their double- and triple-crossing ventures are ingeniously interwoven in both the narrative and gameplay of "GTA V," which allows players to almost seamlessly switch among Michael, Trevor and Franklin throughout the proceedings. With the tap of a few buttons, "GTA V" briskly sweeps across Los Santos from one anti-hero to another.

During missions involving all three dudes, the flip-flopping is key to avoid getting wasted by the Los Santo Police. For instance, one particularly high-pressured holdup of an armored car involves swapping between Michael and Franklin blasting at waves of cops on the ground, and Trevor picking them off with a sniper rifle from a rooftop.

It's not so much a gimmick as it is a flawless innovation on the established "GTA" formula.

Besides the usual felonious shenanigans, there are leisurely diversions spread across Los Santos, including customizing rides, investing in the stock market, racing jet skis, watching TV, surfing spoof sites online, playing tennis and patronizing strip clubs.

With an obsessive attention to detail, the city of Los Santos - last visited in 2004's "GTA: San Andreas" - and its outlying areas feel more alive than any virtual world I've ever visited. Rockstar Games has masterfully crafted a stunning make-believe take on modern Southern California that rivals the dragon-infested realm from "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim."

However, this Los Santos is not a perfect clone of L.A.

The urban areas don't feel quite dense enough when compared with Liberty City from 2008's "GTA IV." And the rendition of Beverly Hills is basically across the street from downtown. Also, a few tired L.A. cliches - plastic surgery, seeking fame - are referenced so frequently the game almost veers into goofy "Saint's Row" territory.

Fortunately, any shortcomings with "GTA V" feel about as important as a random stranger crossing the street in Los Santos. Rockstar Games has created such a fascinating place for Michael, Trevor and Franklin to explore and wreak havoc, I think you'll want to visit for more than a weekend. I know I do. Four stars out of four.

Apple's new iPhones fail to impress markets, analysts

Apple's new iPhones fail to impress markets, analysts



Apple's launch of two new iPhones raised fresh doubts about its strategy to expand its smartphone market share, prompting a slide in the company's shares and harsh analyst comments.

Some analysts said yesterday Apple had failed to slash prices enough to make an impact in key emerging markets or with budget-conscious buyers, and did little to show it has regained its edge in innovation.

Shares slid 5.4 percent to end at USD 467.71 in New York, a day after the technology giant presented the two new iPhones as part of an effort to regain momentum in the smartphone market.

While the new iPhone 5C is being offered to US customers at USD 99 with a subsidised carrier contract, the unsubsidised price will be USD 549 in the United States, and more than USD 700 in China.

Analysts at the research firm Trefis said the iPhone launch "turned out to be a dampener of sorts, as the company priced what was expected to be a significantly cheaper iPhone at a hefty USD 550 and did not introduce any new products such as an iTV or an iWatch."

"So much for the low end," said Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha in a research note.

"We remain disappointed with Apple's decision to remain a premium priced smartphone vendor."

Garcha said that the new top-line iPhone 5S was "lacking real innovation" and that the lower-cost version may hurt sales of the premium product.

"The iPhone 5S has a new apps processor, improved camera functionality and new motion sensor functionality. However, these are not game changers and are more evolutionary rather than revolutionary changes," the analyst said.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said the new devices were "lovely phones" but that the launch "still leaves Apple with a product gap in the low-end."

Walter Piecyk at BTIG Research said Apple is not doing enough to target the customers buying phones without a carrier subsidy, which is the norm in many places around the world.

"The pricing on the iPhone 5C is simply not low enough to adequately address the significant global growth opportunity that we believe exists with unsubsidised prepaid customers that have not yet bought a smartphone," Piecyk said in a note to clients. 

Dell shows off new tablet

Dell has taken the wraps off a new range of tablets, called Venue.

The company was speaking at the 2013 Intel Developers Conference. Dell’s Venue tablets will use the Intel’s new Bay Trail processors, which were also unveiled at this year’s event. Few details were given about the new range. Speaking, Neil Hand, Dell’s vice-president of tablets and performance said that the name represents “the place where things happen”. The only details known for sure about the new tablet is that it will be called the Venue, be powered by Intel’s Bay Trail tablet processor and have an 8-inch screen. Hand said that the company would be announcing more details about the range at an event on October 2nd in New York. Dell’s previous attempts in the tablet space haven’t been that successful. It is unknown whether the company will be targeting consumers or businesses with the new tablet range.