Microsoft is finally revealing their next Xbox console today from their Seattle headquarters, with most of the gaming world on pins and needles waiting for the announcement.

There's a number of gaming outlets that will be covering the event live, but Microsoft has opened up the event to the entire world with a variety of livestreams and online portals that will be airing the while press conference.

Anyone can watch the next Xbox reveal at the official Xbox website and on Xbox Live with the "Live Events" app, while also tuning in to Spike TV.

For everyone around the world, here's when you'll need to catch the event:

• 10:00AM — Pacific
• 11:00AM — Mountain
• 12:00PM — Central
• 01:00PM — Eastern
• 06:00PM — London
• 07:00PM — Paris
• 09:00PM — Moscow
• 03:00AM (May 22nd) — Sydney

For the best and fastest updates, Eurogamer is already running a healthy liveblog (helmed by Oli Welsh and Robert Purchese), which started earlier with recaps of some memorable past "Xbox 720" designs.

For additional coverage, you can find more updates and impressions from the event courtesy of Venture Beat, CVG, The Verge, Engadget, TechnoBuffalo.

Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 21th, 2013.

• Many people didn't think that Yahoo would buy out Tumblr, but the purchase gives the tech giant a surprising amount of clout. Bloomberg Business recaps the situation, explaining why it's a huge gamble that will determine Yahoo's future.

• Sorry, overly-sensitive TV viewers—you won't have Seth MacFarlane to kick around anymore. Entertainment Weekly reports that the charismatic creator of Family Guy and American Dad has turned down an invite to host the 2014 Academy Awards, citing a busy schedule on other projects.

• Speaking of controversial TV, some Sherlock Holmes fans have been outraged at the depiction of the famous detective in Elementary, the American spin-off that takes place in New York and turns John Watson into an attractive Asian woman. But io9 argues that the show has smartly updated the legendary duo.

• It seems that Chinese hackers gained a treasure trove of information on U.S. government operations when they hacked Google several years ago, according to The Washington Post. For Google to be a target isn't a surprise, considering the company's archive of data, but one has to wonder how much attention they warrant in a new age of cyber-espionage.

• CNN International warns us that our memory may not be as reliable as we think. Apparently, humans have the power to physiologically alter how they remember past events, as explained by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus.

• If you're tired of all the "Next Xbox" coverage you've been seeing around the Internet, you're probably not alone. One of Destructoid's community members takes a hilarious swing at the rumored console with a breakdown of what to "expect" at today's event.

By Jeremy Peel | PCGamesN

The original Nuketown was one of Black Ops’ best-loved maps, but its fans haven’t been particularly well-served by Treyarch since. Its Black Ops 2 successor, Nuketown 2025, was first available only as a pre-order bonus - and for a short while afterwards, not at all. Thankfully, some enterprising souls in Illinois have built a version of the map which should prove a little tougher to remove from rotation.

The one-to-one recreation of Nuketown was opened last weekend at Paintball Explosion in East Dundee, Illinois. It’s all there: the white picket fencing, the yellow school bus, and the sign - though that now reads ‘Nuketown 2013’. Just beneath the year, you’ll spot the logo of Tipmann Sports - the paintball manufacturer who funded the development.

This isn’t the park’s first Call of Duty-themed site. That would be the World at War field.

If you fancy it, you can watch the new map given a spin by men and women who take their amateur potshotting very, very seriously indeed:

Imagine getting so worked up about pretend shooting, eh? Oh. Mmm.

Thanks, MP1st and Polygon.

This story originally appeared on:

Although Sony had plenty to talk about during their PlayStation 4 reveal last February, everyone couldn't help but notice something after it was over—where was the new console?

PlayStation Home, some launch titles and the controller had been shown to the world, but actual system was nowhere in sight.

But now we have a slightly better idea of what the console may eventually look like, although Sony's latest teaser for the PlayStation 4 doesn't put together a full picture.

As far we can tell, the PS4 isn't straying too far from tradition, adopting the same black color scheme of its two predecessor systems.

It has a fan, it carries a PlayStation logo and it's got sleek edges.

But aside from the matte finish on the shell, that's about all that can be gleaned from the images interspersed throughout the video, although Sony will draw back the curtains on June 10th during their E3 2013 keynote.

(And maybe we'll see a confirmed launch lineup, price or release date.)

Until then, all we can do is wait and see what Microsoft will bring to the table when they launch their own pre-E3 event tomorrow morning from Seattle to talk about their new Xbox console.

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Back at Google I/O 2013 last week, Google promised a bevy of new features that would be paired with the completely revamped Google+ network, including a specific set of photo tools.

Those updates are now rolling out to Android devices on the official Google+ app in its v4.0 release, and should be done within a day or two.

Once you get the install, you'll be able to do a lot more with your pictures, which now get backed up to your Google account via "Auto Backup" for easy storage, much like syncing options from before—still hosted on Picasa (for now).

But the major player is the so-called "Auto Awesome" tools, which adds "Motion" photo-stitching tricks, smile detection and panoramic images merged from similar pictures.

Editing single shots is also easier with the "Auto Enhance" tools that aim to supplant the options you would normally have with something like Snapseed (a favorite app among certain Android employees) or Instagram, giving you a variety of filters and frames for sprucing up your vanilla photographs.

Moving away from the photo-centric tweaks, Google+ on Android can now support location sharing, which will pinpoint you on Google Maps to certain friends, as well as the new automatic hashtagging tool.

It's the latter of the two that's a significantly interesting mechanic, since it basically tasks Google+ with categorizing your posts and updates with searchable tags, rather than placing the burden entirely on you, like Facebook or Tumblr.

Most of you Android owners should have Google+ in your smartphone or tablet since it's generally a stock app selection, but if you don't, definitely feel free to give the new version a try at your leisure.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (or “E3”) returns to Los Angeles, California on June 11, 2013. While admission to the world’s largest gaming trade show is generally limited to media and industry professionals, the OUYA’s E3 show will be free and open to the entire public.

Interestingly, OUYA’s booth won’t actually be physically located in the Los Angeles Convention Center where E3 is held every year, but in the parking lot next door because, as OUYA Head of Developer Relations Kellee Santiago explained in a press release, “we're roaming outside of the pack!”

In addition to letting the public get their hands-on the Android-based OUYA console, refreshments will also be provided. Developers who wish to showcase their OUYA games during the event can also apply to do so between now and May 28th.

E3 2013 kicks off Tuesday, June 11th and runs until Thursday, June 13th, two weeks before the OUYA’s retail launch on June 25th.

If you are interested in checking out the OUYA event during E3, the booth will be located at 601 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angels, California directly across the street from the L.A. Convention Center’s South Hall.

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Portal Creator's Soul Fjord is OUYA Exclusive

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Even though a great deal of focus from the Android community will be centered around the incoming Galaxy S4 smartphone, there's still plenty for dedicated Galaxy S3 owners to anticipate.

In particular, SamMobile got their hands on a build of Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 for the device, showing off features included in the expected update.

There's a hefty number of perks to the OS upgrade, with the major highlights being an overhauled UI, partial voice controls and a new version of the built-in S-Voice personal assistant tool developed in-house by Samsung themselves.

Here's a short list of some other features you'll notice in the video:

• Multiple Widgets w/ new effects
• New Screen modes: Adapt Display and Professional Photo
• Daydream
• Driving mode
• Actionable notifications
• New Additions in Notification Center
• Gallery modes have white background
• Full screen Samsung apps
• New smart switch widget

If you're carrying the U.S. version of the Galaxy S3 (i9300), you unfortunately won't be able to do anything with the leaked firmware, but anyone with the international version of the device is in luck.

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Galaxy S4 Gets Stock Android Jelly Bean

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Within Google Play, Android phone and tablet users have a lot of apps to choose from. In this weekly rundown, we give you a peek at five of the very best Android apps -- both free and paid -- to help you get the most out of your Android mobile device.

DocuSign Ink-Sign & Send Docs

by DocuSign (Free)

Get it now on:

The important and legally binding documents that we sometimes (or frequently, depending on the line of work) need to sign are increasingly going digital -- which means less actual ink put to paper, and more annoying pages that you have to print, sign, re-scan, and email. Except, you don't have to do that: DocuSign is the most popular e-signature platform around, and it allows you to sign any document (in a multitude of formats, including the all-popular PDF and DOC file types), or send documents to others for signing. And it works seamlessly with DocuSign's account-based website. It definitely takes the hassle out of signing stuff in the Internet age!

Easy Uninstaller

by INFOLIFE LLC (Free, or $1.99 for Pro version)

Get it now on:

If your Android device is anything like mine, the app menu -- that is, the giant list that you have to scroll through every time you want to check an app's system properties or uninstall it -- is a bit unwieldy, and oftentimes slow to load. Easy Uninstaller provides a much more elegant interface that gives you several sorting options, and gives you the option to uninstall anything with one click, or even perform a batch uninstall if you've decided to do some serious housecleaning. It's not the flashiest app in the world, by Easy Uninstaller definitely makes life a little bit easier!

Hangouts

by Google Inc. (Free)

Get it now on:

A lot of folks have undoubtedly already had this one pushed to their devices in the wake of this year's Google I/O conference, but part of Google's big news for 2013 is a complete overhaul of the old Talk app and service. It's been replaced by Google Hangouts, an all-new social portal that allows for instant messaging, chat rooms, instant video calls for up to 10 participants, and photo sharing. It's Google's new cross-device social solution, and it's apparently even going to have some sort of built-in SMS text messaging support for phones. Basically: Google's trying pretty hard to kick AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Trillian, and all that other stuff off the island.

Spare Parts Plus!

by DroidGram (Free, or $1.79 for Pro version)

Get it now on:

Spare Parts Plus! is basically a collection of tools that allow you to tweak various odds 'n' ends on your Android device. For example, you can modify window transition and animation speeds, modify your Wi-Fi sleep policy, modify or disable your device's haptic feedback, view numerous battery usage statistics, or play with your device's font sizes. All in all, it's for folks who like to tinker with their phones and tablets. Just don't break anything!

The Traveler

by Frog Baby Apps LLC (Free)

Get it now on:

This one is for all you wanderlust-afflicted folks who actually leave your computers sometimes (what's that all about, anyway!?). Traveler is a full-featured trip journal that lets you capture photos and videos, record audio files, create sketches, record your travel route with location markers (with GPS tracking to help you do so easily), and organize and correlate it all into one big, cohesive travelogue. You can easily share your travel-related media with friends and family, send travel routes and information via Google Docs and Maps, and basically keep everyone who matters abreast of your ongoing adventures.

Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 20th, 2013.

• There's a lot of ground to cover this morning, so let's start with the biggest news—Microsoft's Xbox event is tomorrow morning, and the gaming world is dying to know what's in store. Eurogamer has a fantastic roundup of everything we know about the next Xbox so far, which covers all the rumors and insider reports over the months.

• It's a given that Star Trek Into Darkness will get the trilogy treatment, but there's no telling if J.J. Abrams will be around for the next installment. Cinema Blend considers the likelihood of a sequel, and who should direct it.

• Space travel and transporters can't come soon enough, because airlines continue to struggle. Bloomberg Business reports that American Airlines is now implementing a rule that passengers with only small carry-on bags can board before everyone with roller bags and suitcases, hoping to cut down on their wait times.

• Certain spots in the housing market are hot right now, especially with more families and adults renting instead of buying property—but some are taking a gamble by cashing out their retirement funds to buy homes. CNN Money takes a look at the practice, along with the benefits and risks of the surging tactic.

• International cyber warfare isn't slowing down, as The New York Times reports that Chinese hackers are cracking away at American enterprise in a renewed wave. And it's going to get worse before it gets better.

• Finally, GamesIndustry recaps a controversial decision by Nintendo to attempt monetization of "Let's Play" videos on YouTube—a genre of content where YouTube Partners make revenue by posting online walkthroughs of self-played games. That aims to let the Big N take money away from their fans, which has given the gaming giant a PR black eye.

It's official—Tumblr is now a Yahoo property, with the $1.1 billion acquisition firmly placing the microblogging site underneath one of the Internet's largest and oldest corporations.

Yahoo made their business announcement earlier this morning, with an amusing opener to their press release on the sale:

"Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business.

"David Karp will remain CEO. The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators."

Most the funds used to pay the deal will be done in cash, which will handsomely benefit the six-year-old company and its staff, while the rest of the tech and business world are in a bit of a media frenzy over the news.

Ostensibly, nothing will change on Tumblr's end, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the occasional "Yahoo" logo pop up now and then on their side of the fence.

Tumblr CEO David Karp has also given his own thoughts on the deal, promising readers and bloggers that the whole website won't "turn purple," the company won't move its headquarters and their plans for the future will remain the same.

Generally, it seems like business as usual.

To boot, Yahoo has already moved their official corporate blog to Tumblr, which is a small hint of just how closely the two websites will be linked together with their new relationship.

At more than 300 million unique visitors a month, Tumblr has been one of the Internet's hottest properties, with its immense growth continuing to skyrocket year after year—and there's still no clear ceiling.

Mobile gaming is bigger than ever, and that comes with some ups and downs. On one hand, it means lots of increasingly awesome games that give even proper console heavy-hitters a run for their money; on the other hand, it means a lot of subpar choices to wade through on Google Play. In this weekly roundup, we've got you covered: Here are five Android games that are worth your precious time (and in some cases, even your money!).

Aces of the Luftwaffe

by HandyGames (Free)

Who doesn't love a good vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up? Aces of the Luftwaffe is a stylized take on World War II's European air battles, providing a fast and frantic shooter experience rife with weapon upgrades and power-ups, multiple planes and pilots to fly the skies with, and giant bosses to take down at the end of every mission. If you were ever into old arcade shooters, this is definitely a game that will strike your fancy. It slightly reminds me of the classic Battle Garegga -- widely considered by genre wonks to best the best shoot 'em up ever made -- though Aces of the Luftwaffe is certainly a fair bit less hellish!

Bejeweled Blitz

by Electronic Arts Inc (Free)

Get it now on: 

Geez, it's about time we got a new Bejeweled game on Android. And while I will continue to wonder just what the heck is taking the long-awaited Bejeweled 3 port so long, I certainly won't say no to Bejeweled Blitz. It's an interesting and fast-paced take on the classic match-three formula, challenging you to line up as many matches as possible within a strict 60-econd time limit. The idea is to go for the highest scores, and compete with all of your friends on Facebook. And even if you don't have any friends, it's still a fun and fast way to kill a few minutes here and there.

Catch the Candy

by HeroCraft Ltd (Free, or $0.99 for premium version)

Oh, how I love cutesy physics puzzlers. Catch the Candy's title pretty much says it all: You're in control of an adorable little creature that's out to score some candy. He's got a stretchy grappling tail, which he can use to manipulate his environment -- pushing and pulling on boxes, balancing on precarious surfaces, climbing up and bouncing off of nearby objects, and all manner of other fun stuff -- as he attempts to grab those precious pieces of candy across 58 increasingly tricky levels. If you're a sucker for games like Cut the Rope and Jellyflop, Catch the Candy is right up your alley.

Pixel Dungeon

by watabou (Free)

Get it now on:

It seems "retro-looking, 8-bit-ish roguelike" is a thing on mobile devices, and Pixel Dungeon embraces the best of what makes the dead-is-dead role-playing roguelike genre so cool. Officially, it's still in beta, and it only (heh, only) has 20 increasingly treacherous levels to explore, as you comb the labyrinth and fight numerous monsters in your quest for the Amulet of Yendor. So, hey, it's a good thing it's so infinitely replayable. Like any good roguelike, you never know what you're going to get in each session... or what's waiting around that next corner to kill you dead in your tracks.

Punch Quest

by Noodlecake Studios Inc ($0.99)

Get it now on: 

Yeah, yeah, we all know about endless running games. Well, how about and endless punching game? Punch Quest cranks the goofball quotient up to about 800, as you control one mean street fighter as he careens into (and through) a never-ending army of baddies and beasties, clobbering them all into oblivion as he pushes past each successive threat. It's got regular punches, fireball-uppercut punches, dinosaur-riding laser-blast punches, super-rotating-stone-fist-shield punches, turn-yourself-into-a-human-fireball punches, and... well, way too much to name. Do you like your games goofy and hyper-self-aware? Punch Quest will do you no wrong.

The industry moves at such a rapid pace that we don’t always have enough time to provide detailed coverage for some of the exciting stuff that happens between the bigger announcements. Each week, we’ll gather some of those news tidbits and share our thoughts on why we believe they deserve to be highlighted, even though for one reason or another they didn’t quite make it to center stage during the preceding seven days. We think you’ll agree that they’re still quite interesting.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Coming to PC

During his HideRadio podcast, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima revealed that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is being ported to the PC platform. Jean Pierre Kellams, creative producer at Platinum Games (the studio that developed the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Revengeance) has since confirmed the announcement. There’s not much else to say on the matter now, but it’s still good news for PC fans who are anxious for another sci-fi action game.

Original source: Joystiq

Galaxy S4 Shatters Samsung's Smartphone Sales Records

Mashable is reporting that the Samsung Galaxy S 4 phone from Samsung is on track to surpass 10 million sales as of this coming week. That number would make it the fastest-selling Galaxy S device to date, if Samsung CEO J.K. Shin’s prediction comes true. “We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week,” Shin told reporters. “It is selling much faster than the previous model S3.” In its first year of availability, the Galaxy S 3 model had sold nearly 50 million units, a number that it has since surpassed. Samsung has clearly found a design that works for consumers.

Original source: Mashable

Rainbow 6: Patriots Might Have Been Canceled

Rainbow 6: Patriots was announced in November 2011, but there hasn’t been a lot of information revealed about it since that time. GameStop was allowing consumers to preorder the title anyway, but that changed this past week and now there’s some reason to believe that the game may have been stealthily canceled. If such a cancellation has actually taken place, it would represent a change for the title, which Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot said recently is still in development. “The only thing I can say is that we have a good team working on it,” he told gaming site Polygon in November, “and it’s really looking good. So when it will come, it will surprise the industry.” Removing the title from the GameStop database is one way to make sure that its release really does come as a surprise, we suppose…

Original source: Polygon

Defense Grid 2 Finds a Silent Investor

Defense Grid 2 has found an angel investor in the form of Steven Dengler, chief executive of foreign exchange website <a href=”http://www.xe.com/”>xe.com</a>. Dengler has a history of investing in game projects on Kickstarter, and he invested in the recent Defense Grid project, as well. That project was successfully funded, but success didn’t provide quite enough revenue to finish development of Defense Grid 2. Hidden Path Entertainment approached Denglar about additional support, and he agreed. “I’m not in this to make my fortune,” Denglar said, after noting that he has no rights to the title and is not a publisher. “This gets a game out there that people want to play. I don’t want to own part of the company. I want to help make a game.” Given the popularity of the original title, it’s a safe bet that plenty of gamers will be waiting to help play it.

Original source: Venture Beat

Sonic's Next 3 Games to be Nintendo-Exclusives

Sonic the Hedgehog has enjoyed limited success since Sega exited the hardware business, and most of the blue rodent’s greatest triumphs have come on Nintendo platforms. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that Sega has entered into an arrangement with Nintendo that will see the latter publish the next three titles on 3DS and Wii U hardware, as world exclusives. The first two titles affected by the arrangement will be Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, as well as a new title called Sonic: Last World. A third title hasn’t yet been announced at this time. It will be interesting to see how well the high-profile exclusivity works for Sega and Nintendo both. Are there any bets on the form that the third Sonic exclusive will take?

Original source: Polygon

A recent VentureBeat report indicates that Yahoo may be looking to make a significant investment in the popular blogging service, Tumblr. That possible investment, first reported on by All Things D, could even take the form of an outright acquisition, according to a related report from AdWeek.

If Yahoo does acquire Tumblr, the deal would be a great deal more substantial than other recent acquisitions. Yahoo has lately been on a bit of a shopping spree, acquiring talent as part of a string of acquisitions that includes smaller operations such as GoPollGo and Milewise.

VentureBeat notes that many of Yahoo’s recent acquisitions have quickly been followed by closures, with the goal apparently being specialized talent and not separate services to fall under the Yahoo umbrella. Indeed, many of Yahoo’s services that existed before Marissa Mayer was hired as the company’s CEO have also been offered expiration dates.

In case you’re not aware, Tumblr is an extremely popular blogging service that seems to move in the same sort of circles as Blogger and Wordpress. Such services do seem to come and go (note the shrinking popularity of LiveJournal, for instance), but Tumblr’s fortunes are undoubtedly on the rise; the company has recently secured significant investment from funders that led to a valuation of $800 million, and that number has the potential to increase to $1 billion as the company continues to seek out additional investors.

Additional investment in Tumblr is attractive because the service is expanding its advertising model. A report on Forbes suggests that the company is hoping to produce $100 million in revenue in 2013, after $13 million in earnings during 2012. Yahoo would bring some real know-how to the table in that area and numbers could continue to climb even higher in successive years, which means that even such a potentially expensive acquisition might pay for itself in a few short years.

Even before Mayer joined Yahoo, the company has shown interest in acquiring services that rely on user-generated content.

You might recall its purchase of GeoCities, a once-popular service that allowed people to make their own websites before blogging became the popular alternative. That service has since been closed, but certainly it established a precedent and will have offered the company a taste of the sort of success that it might also find with Tumblr.

At the moment, the possibility that Yahoo will acquire Tumblr is still only an unconfirmed rumor, but it’s gaining traction and it definitely seems like the sort of move that Mayer tends to favor. If an acquisition by Yahoo actually goes through, would that affect how you use Tumblr?

[Image: Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo]

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PayPal Helps Eliminate the Register

Tegra 4 Devices Revealed Next Quarter

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While many of us might waste a few idle minutes contemplating what we would do if we had a million dollars in our bank accounts, or ten or a hundred million, there exist a number of people who don’t have to dream. Such men and women possess fortunes that make a single million seem like something that could easily be spent on an especially good meal, or perhaps on a weekend in Aspen.

Bloomberg tracks those wealthy individuals, and regularly assembles a list so that anyone watching from the peanut gallery can tell exactly who in the world has accrued the most wealth. In 2007, the man at the top of that list was Bill Gates, but then he lost the position and hadn’t reclaimed it since. Today, though, Bloomberg announced that Bill Gates once again is perched at the top of the heap, after some changes in Mexico that stand to change the fortunes of former first-place finisher Carlos Slim.

According to Bloomberg, Bill Gates is currently worth $72.7 billion, a 16 percent increase since the year began. Less than a quarter of that number is tied to Microsoft, the company Gates famously co-founded. Much of his fortune instead comes from stock investments in companies such as the Canadian National Railway Co. and Republic Services Inc. Gates has tied a great deal of his fortune to Cascade Investment LLC, a holding company that owns a significant number of shares in large, publicly traded entities.

Carlos Slim, meanwhile, is known primarily for his ownership of American Movil SAB, which currently controls around 70 percent of Mexico’s mobile phone subscriptions while also controlling 80 percent of landlines in the country. In other words, you’re probably contributing to his sizeable fortune if you make a phone call in Mexico. Slim doesn’t see a problem with that arrangement, but a bill is being considered by the country’s legislators that would potentially force American Movil SAB to break up, or at least to share its networks with the competition. Depending on how things go, that could have profound impact on Slim’s fortunes.

As reported in the Bloomberg article, Bill Gates would have an even greater fortune than he does right now if he hadn’t donated $28 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which performs charitable work around the world and has proven to be especially interested in offering aid to the impoverished people who live in underdeveloped countries. That’s far better than thousands of expensive meals and Aspen weekends…

Starring Brad Pitt as a United Nations worker caught in the midst of a zombie outbreak, World War Z hit theaters this summer on June 21st.

The film is an adaptation of Max Brooks' best-selling novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and now an official video game based on the movie that is based on a book is coming to Android.

Developed by Chicago-based Phosphor Games (known to Android gamers for titles including Horn and The Dark Meadow) in collaboration with Paramount Pictures, World War Z - The Mobile Game is slated to arrive on Google Play on May 30th, 2013.

In anticipation of the game's forthcoming launch, the developer has released its debut trailer (watch it in high-definition above), which depicts a variety of apocalyptic scenarios including military helicopters flying over a city embroiled in chaos, massive hordes of zombies charging in unison and the undead falling off high-rise buildings.

The game’s visuals are also powered by Epic Games’ proprietary graphics technology, Unreal Engine 3.

"We were excited to be able to use the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 3 to bring World War Z to life," Chip Sineni, Phosphor Games Studio's director, told IGN.

Other Stories You Should Read on NVision:

NVIDIA SHIELD Pre-Orders Accepted Early

'Kingdom Rush' Hits Google Play

'Sonic the Hedgehog' Races to Android

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Yesterday, we thought the Foc.us was a joke.

The thing is, it only seemed to exist as this strange Tumblr account and a sparse webpage featuring two alternating pictures of ladies, both overcome by the hitherto-untapped sensual potential of gaming. It asked: “Are you ready to foc.us?”

Yeah. Since then, however, attaching ourselves to the site’s mailing list has reaped rewards: a pre-order page. For $249, you can order the headset ahead of shipping in July.

The Foc.us promises to “increase the plasticity of your brain” and “make your synapses fire faster” - effectively overclocking it. The headset sits behind your ears like laurels or, if your reference points are less classical, glasses. It delivers low currents of electricity to your brain via electrodes, in a process called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). 

tDCS is typically used to help stroke patients improve their cognitive performance, and can enhance linguistic ability, attention span, problem solving, memory and co-odination. Here, I guess it means getting the drop on a baddy in CoD?

The Foc.us comes with eight reusable sponges. Hey! I remember why you need sponges when applying electricity to your brain.

This story originally appeared on:

It can be easy to root for hackers because the targets they choose often do things we don’t like such as earn a lot of money, or protect unpopular political organizations, or make us pay for the entertainment we enjoy.

However, hacking is very much a crime, one that courts take quite seriously. Several members of the international hacking group LulzSec discovered as much this week, when they were sentenced for their recent online activities.

As noted in a report on Polygon, a group of four individuals—Ryan Ackroyd (26), Mustafa Al-Bassam (18), Ryan Cleary (21), and Jake Davis (20)—have been sentenced to prison terms that range from 20 to 32 months, depending on the offender and his precise offenses.

The four men were found guilty of two specific crimes: hacking and DDoS attacks on targets that included the CIA and the Serious Organized Crime Agency (located in the UK). Some private and financial data was also posted online at sites such as The Pirate Bay, after it was first decrypted. The courts seem to be of the opinion that all of this was done to achieve specific goals.

“It’s clear from the evidence that they intended to achieve extensive national and international notoriety and publicity,” said Sandip Patel, the prosecutor in the case. “This is not about young immature men messing about. They are at the cutting edge of a contemporary and emerging species of criminal offender known as a cybercriminal.”

In addition to law enforcement agencies, LulzSec targets included Electronic Arts, Nintendo, and Sony Pictures. Not all of the people who were sentenced have seen the end of their time in court, either; Ryan Cleary faces four additional charges, including one for possession of images of child abuse. That particular crime hasn’t yet resulted in sentencing, but already Cleary faces 32 months in prison for assorted other offenses.

According to an original report by The Guardian, the sentencing took place at Southwark crown court in London. The crimes were violations of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

“You cared nothing for the privacy of others,” said Judge Deborah Taylor, “but did everything you could through your computer activities to hide your own identities while seeking publicity.”

LulzSec is not the only “hactivist” group online, though it is one of the most infamous. Motivated individuals from other such groups will surely continue similar activities as it suits them, only now they will do so with the awareness that being caught can lead to hefty prison terms.

[Illustration: Rob Beschizza.]

Originally scheduled to be available for pre-orders on May 20th, the NVIDIA SHIELD is now available for consumers eager to pre-order the portable gaming platform.

According to NVIDIA, the pre-order date for the Tegra-4 powered gaming device—which features the ability to play both Android games and PC games streamed from a nearby rig—was pushed up to Friday in response to the growing anticipation for its June retail launch.

"Gamers look to GameStop as their defacto gaming destination," said Joe Gorman, vice president of mobile at video game retailer GameStop, in a press release Friday. "As Android gamers look for a place to get the latest and greatest gear, it made total sense for us to carry SHIELD. We believe this handheld console will revolutionize the Android gaming market."

You can pre-order NVIDIA SHIELD for $349.99 from NVIDIA’s official website as well as a variety of retailers including Newegg, GameStop and Canada Computer with availability from additional stores to follow.

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As a thank you to our readers, we're going to be doing regular Google Play gift card giveaways! Every week (or so), we'll be giving away a $10 Google Play gift card code, which can be used to download apps and games on Google's online marketplace. So what do you have to do to win? Simply follow the instructions below.

How to Win:

1. Sign up for a free Twitter account (if you don't have one already).

2. Follow NVision on Twitter here.

3. And then tell us on Twitter what you would buy on Google Play with $10 if you won.

• Important: Be sure to include "@NVision_App" somewhere in your Tweet so we get the Tweet.

And that's it. The contest officially begins Friday, May 17th at 12:00PM PST and runs until Friday, May 24th at 12:00PM PST. Winner will be randomly selected. 

Good luck and thanks for reading NVision!

Kingdom Rush is one of those simpler tower defense games that doesn't really seem complicated right at the start, but actually develops into an extremely intense mental exercise in a hurry.

It's only been available as a flash browser game and iOS title for a couple of years, but it's available on Android and already gaining traction on Google Play.

To start, Kingdom Rush tasks you with defending a map from invading enemies, with the goal of preventing them from getting to the end of the road by carefully managing your archers, soldiers, wizards and mortar squad at fixed points in the area.

There's specific spots in each level where you can build each of the four tower types, although the money you gain from each enemy kill can be applied to an upgraded tower.

Enemies will upgrade as the game goes on, too, with bigger and faster units, but you can level the playing field with "Hero" units that can wipe out dozens of enemies on a map while moving from location to location.

Kingdom Rush is a blast to play, and well worth the $1.99 asking price—just have an Android smartphone or tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean ready to go, and you'll be all set.

Other Stories You Should Read on NVision:

'Sonic the Hedgehog' Races to Android

See NVIDIA Shield Up Close

Get 'Prince of Persia' Creator's 'Karateka'

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Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 17th, 2013.

• League of Legends is one of the world's most competitive online games around, but the community surrounding it aren't always the most polite MMO crowd. Ars Technica has a fascinating piece about the behavior of players in the game, and how the developers are using science to analyze and prevent a "toxic" environment.

• Social media has substantially transformed the way we interact with each other, but it's also changed international espionage. The Wall Street Journal discusses how it's affecting the C.I.A., and its agents' day-to-day lives.

• After an amazingly successful run on NBC, it's time to say goodbye to The Office as it airs its final episode. But if you need a refresher on the events surrounding characters like Pam, Jim, Michael Scott and the rest of the crew, The Hollywood Reporter has a lengthy guide that you may want to study.

• NPR reports that some ancient water samples have been found trapped inside rocks at an Ontario site, aged over 1.5 billion years. Scientists are excited to study it, as it may contain secrets about life from other planets, or how the microbes in the water were able to live for such a ridiculously long time.

• Swimming pools are usually considered a good way to beat the summer heat, but studies relayed by USA Today might give you pause before taking a dip. Over half of American pools are filled with feces, due to poor bathing habits from swimmers. In a word, yuck. We would recommended against swimming in public, but read the piece for some other guidelines.

Some video games have truly endured the test of time, seeing many ports and releases on nearly every gaming console and system in the world ever since their original release.

That perfectly describes the original Sonic the Hedgehog, which has seen action in over a dozen video game collections.

Now, a brand-new port of the game is available for Android via Google Play, adding in some exclusive new perks that sweeten the appeal of the already-enticing $2.99 app.

In addition to recreating all of the original levels, Sonic the Hedgehog on Android also includes re-mastered tracks, achievements, and a leaderboard.

But even better, you can now play the game as Tails and Knuckles in addition to Sonic, which should greatly open up the level design given the former mascot's ability to fly and the latter's ability to climb walls, as well as glide through the air.

It's an especially cool addition for old-school Sonic fans, since the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge for the Sega Genesis was never compatible with the original Sonic title. 

For those of you seasoned players who won't have much trouble breezing through the game, there's also a time attack mode, although you'll probably have more success with an alternate controller.

Download Sonic the Hedgehog to relive the series, and definitely pick it up if you've never played it before—it's compatible with most devices running Android 2.3 or better.

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'Karateka' Hits Android

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'Gangstar Vegas' Announced for Android

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WB Games have released a teaser trailer for the proper trailer of Batman: Arkham Origins.

Yeah, you read that right.

We don't get the full trailer until the 20th May, so for now we'll just have to put up with a few seconds of Batman scrapping with new big bad Deathstroke.

The ten-or-so seconds of actual fighting in the trailer isn't gameplay footage, nor does it offer any real insight into the game at all.

But you can't deny it: those CGI artists really captured Bruce's stubble.

He's clearly a man too busy to shave, and no wonder with that one-eyed, masked freak making the rounds in Gotham.

This story originally appeared on:

Project Shield now carries the "NVIDIA Shield" moniker, and it's heading to the handheld market this summer, equipped with Tegra 4 and a unique control scheme that puts a PC and a portable console right at your fingertips.

Check out the video above to see NVIDIA's own Will Park break down all the perks of the new system, like its Android Jelly Bean interface, analog joysticks and built-in microphone/speaker combination.

If you want to pre-order early, you can sign-up at shield.nvidia.com for early access, while the rest of the general public will be able to pre-order as soon as May 20th.

(NVIDIA Shield will also be available to purchase from various online retailers.)

From there, you won't be charged for the system until it actually ships, which should be around the end of June this year.

NVIDIA Shield will go a long way to expanding Android gaming's ecosystem, especially since it will take advantage of apps in Google Play as well as the ability to stream games from your PC rig.

[Photo Credit: John R. Coughlin/CNN Money]

Tensions between Google and Microsoft have been running pretty high so far this year, thanks to an increasingly competitive vibe between both companies in the smartphone market.

In particular, Microsoft's "Scroogled" campaign—a series of smear tactics used to boost the popular of their Windows Phone line—has taken a sharp turn for the nasty.

Just one more aspect of the rivarly has come up with YouTube for Windows Phone, which TechCrunch reports violates Google's terms of service.

Currently, Microsoft is facing a cease-and-desist motion from Google, who says that the Windows Phone app for YouTube doesn't display any video ads, which robs content creators and directors of their revenue.

(In a larger violation of Google's terms, the app also allows direct downloads of YouTube videos.)

However, The Verge reports that Microsoft is "more than happy" to comply, but they're requesting access to Google's API.

'Tough talk.

In a nutshell, it's a clear case of hardball being played here, although Google may have the option to both deny Microsoft their API while simultaneously having YouTube removed from Windows Phones.

Other Stories You Should Read on NVision:

YouTube Live Streaming Opens Up

Netflix Dominates 1/3 of U.S. Internet

Hulu For Android Updates UI

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Although EA's Online Pass program has given a major spotlight to downloadable content for blockbuster video games like Madden NFL, NCAA Football, L.A. Noire, Battlefield 3 and Dead Space 2, it won't be seen in future titles.

VentureBeat's GamesBeat reports that EA executive Josh Reseburg confirmed the new company mandate, noting that fans didn't "respond" to the Online Pass system.

"Yes, we're discontinuing Online Pass," EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed to GamesBeat in an e-mail. "None of our new EA titles will include that feature."

"Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn't respond to the format," Reseburg said. "We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward."

In a nutshell, various types of online passes are aimed at rewarding players for buying new, early copies of video games, with codes that enable multiplayer access or provide future DLC at a discount.

However, not all customers have given a positive reaction to the practice, with many people opining that the system actually punishes those who prefer to buy their games used, or simply like to borrow them from friends.

But EA's move is an extremely promising response from one of the world's largest video game publishers, especially since the company made a reported $10 to $15 million in revenue from the feature within its very first year.

Hopefully, it sets an example for other major publishers like Sony, Microsoft, Activision, Ubisoft and Tecmo Koei, all of whom use the Online Pass system for several of their own franchises.

Different sections of Google+ are getting upgraded and dropping fresh redesigns during Google I/O week, but Google Games won't be around much longer.

According to Google's Support page, the introduction of Google Play games services means that Google Games has officially become a redundant brand investment and will be hence going completely offline on June 30th as part of a continued effort to nip and tuck Google+ into a more efficient system.

However, there might be a problem for those you who have spent money on games like Mafia Wars 2, Angry Birds and Zynga Poker.

If that's the case, you'll still be able to keep playing without seeing your cash disappear into thin air, although it's still recommended that you empty out your in-game currencies before the end of next month:

"Some games will be migrating data to an alternative destination site where you can continue to use your unused payments.

"Other games are offering a grace period in which you can use any available credits before the game is shutdown. Contact the game developer for further information."

Don't expect the Google Games portal to open up again either, unless the company has some grander plans for moving their recently-launched Google Play games services into the vacant slot.

Moreover, the removal and closure of Google Games also could be a "spring cleaning" thing, since Google isn't remotely shy about axing underperforming services and programs.

Other Stories You Should Read on NVision:

Google Details Hangouts, Expands Chats

Google Reveals New Gaming Service

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Google Play has gotten a much-need facelift in the weeks leading up to Google I/O, with a cleaner interface and a vastly better-organized library of music, movies, books and apps.

But there's always room for improvement, and the latest update attemps to point out which apps are meant for Android tablets.

You can see the change both in-browser and on your mobile devices, with a separate app menu labeled "Designed for Tablets" that leads to a specialized section of the Android Apps collection.

It's a start, but the list isn't entirely inclusive of tablet-specific apps yet, just pointing out a few dozen featured examples.

Generally, just about any Android app can be used between smartphones and tablets, as long as the applicable Android device in question is supported by the current version or update.

Moreover, the list isn't a fluid section, requiring pre-selected apps to be added in retroactively.

Unfortunately, the search function in Google Play doesn't work to separate tablet apps yet, but we'll expect that in a future release.

This section isn't live for all Android tablets just yet, so it's probably still making the rounds throughout the week—but keep in mind, it's also entirely separate from the "Featured" tablet apps.

Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out, here's today's required reading for May 16th, 2013.

• Abercrombie & Fitch may be one of the world's most hated clothing brands, but recent news reports haven't made it better. Not only does company refuse to hire "ugly" or "fat" people, they also refuse to sell sizes above "Large" to customers. In response, L.A. writer Greg Karber is pushing a movement to do something positive with A&F clothing while also fighting the company—by giving their clothes to the homeless. Get the whole story from TIME, and make sure to check out Karber's viral video.

• If you were drowning under all of the Google I/O 2013 news, The Next Web has a handy roundup of everything that was announced at the conference yesterday. That's everything from major gadget news to smaller app notes.

• Sometimes, even the justice system catches up with elusive hackers. The BBC brings word that four members of the notorious "Lulzsec" group have been jailed, bringing some closure to a wave of online attacks in 2011 against Sony, EA, News International and several other company's websites. 

• Tesla Motors' Model S and its brother fleets of all-electric cars might change the auto industry for the better, but not everyone wants them around. Slate reports that North Carolina may ban the sale of Tesla cars in their state, just to give other car dealers a "fair" shake.

• Making a robot is tough enough, but making a human-sized one out of scrap metal and recycled parts takes real dedication. BoingBoing relays a photo of Chinese inventor Tao Xiangli standing next to his monstrous creation, which weighs a substantial 500 pounds and stands at roughly seven feet tall. Impressive. We'll look for more information on this later.

• Disney takes a lot of criticism for its "Disney Princess" marketing, which parents and public groups say push an unhealthy standard of beauty onto young, impressionable girls—but Disney's latest gaff was far worse. Jezebel reports that the company has pulled a sexy redesign of Brave's heroine Merida off their lineup after some massive backlash, restoring the character to her original Pixar design. That's a small step in the right direction. Hopefully they fix poor Mulan and Princess Tiana, too.

Jordan Mechner is constantly recognized for his work on the beloved Prince of Persia franchise, but did you know that he has also made other games? It’s true. One of those games was Karateka, which originally saw release during the Apple II era.

That game may not have earned as many fans as Mechner’s famous follow-up did, but people still remember it fondly and there have been occasional updates throughout the years as the game was adapted for release on newer platforms.

According to a report on Joystiq, the newest platforms to receive an updated version of the game will be iOS and Android. Starting today, you’ll be able to download a copy of the game that closely reproduces the original Apple II experience while also adding concessions to modern gaming.

For instance, you’ll now be able to receive tips on how to play, and a rewind function has been added so that mistakes need not be permanent (a feature that made waves when it arrived in the famous reboot of the Prince of Persia series, during the PlayStation 2 era).

If you’re leery about taking a chance with the new release, the good news is that you won’t have to take much of a plunge; the price tag is a very affordable $0.99, which makes it perfect for a spur-of-the-moment investment.

The new version of Karateka was developed by the people at Liquid Entertainment, producers of such duds as Desperate Housewives: The Game and Thor: God of Thunder, but you probably shouldn’t hold that against them. Everyone deserves the chance for a do-over.

We were left scratching our heads last week as to what Steam Trading Cards were—they'd been spotted in the Steam database but Valve weren't talking about their newest initiative.

Well, the curtain's been drawn back to reveal that they're a development of Steam achievements & badges which will reward your playing of games with a deeper profile page and money off coupons.

The way it works is that each game will have a deck of collectible cards. According to Valve, "Up to half the card set is dropped through game play, the other half is earned through your collecting prowess."

Complete sets of cards can then be crafted into badges that can then be pinned to your profile page, showing off your mastery of certain games.

These badges differ from the ones Valve currently have knocking about Steam, crafted badges come with benefits, benefits like "emoticons, profile backgrounds, and coupons". You can collect a card set multiple times, allowing you to level up your badge and earn more benefits.

All these badges and levels accrue XP for your overall Steam level, something Jeremy spotted earlier today. That Steam level is viewable through your newly updated profile.

Games that are currently taking part in the beta are CS:GO, Team Fortress 2, Dota 2, Portal 2, Half-Life 2 and Don't Starve.

(You can sign up to be considered for the beta by joining the Steam Trading Card group.)

This is a great update from Valve, actually adding something of value to the gamerscore/trophy/achievement culture. It's a system which rewards playing games to completion and also recognises players who have stuck with a game for a long time, allowing them to level up a badge multiple times.

This story originally appeared on:

A new version of Electronic Arts and D.I.C.E.'s powerful proprietary graphics technology, the Frostbite engine, is currently being developed for mobile platforms.

This substantiates previous reports that the Frostbite team at D.I.C.E. was experimenting with bringing its graphics technology to mobile devices. Last October,  an official job posting appeared on EA's website seeking a developer to work with "a team focusing on bringing Frostbite to mobile platforms." And now it appears as though that team has been quite busy.

"One of our most exciting current projects is called Frostbite Go," EA wrote on the official Frostbite website, describing it as "a mobile division empowering EA game developers with Frostbite’s proven excellent workflows and features to bring true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms."

Frostbite 3, the latest iteration of the engine, is also being used to power the visuals of next-gen games including Battlefield 4, Dragon Age III: Inquisition and the forthcoming Mass Effect sequel.

While EA has a notable presence in the mobile space, the vast majority of its games are more of the casual variety so it's conceivable that we'll see more Frostbite Go-powered titles geared towards core audiences in the future. Imagine playing a mobile version of Battlefield 4 with visuals that do justice to the series.

[Video: Frostbite 2.0 tech demo with Battlefield 3]

Google Hangouts has gotten a bit of a facelift from Mountain View HQ, further bridging the design gap that's existed between Android and Google's web interface.

Effectively replacing Google Talk, the new mobile app is a universal effort, letting you cross-chat between Android, iOS, Gmail and Chrome all at once—with the added ability to hold conversations over from session-to-session among several devices.

There's also new chat elements in the mix, including emoticons, shared notifications and watermarks to highlight who's chatting or typing at any given moment.

Here's some of the other updates that come with revamped mobile app, via Google Play:

• Say more with photos and emoji.
• Turn any conversation into a video call with up to 10 friends.
• Message friends anytime, even if they're not connected right now.
• Hangouts stay in sync across devices so you can start or continue them anywhere.
• See what you talked about in the past, including shared photos and your video call history.
• View collections of photos shared from each of your Hangouts.

​​At a glance, the Hangouts app is a brilliant way to work around mobile OS barriers for video chats, while also providing far more features than Skype or other third-party video chatting tools, ensuring that you don't lose any media along the way.

(Some tablets aren't supported quite yet, but it sounds like a healthy amount of smartphones have gotten the rollout so far.)

Next time you log-in to your Google+ account, you'll also see that the design in Hangouts is mirrored on the web browser version of the network, matching the new cardstock format that's been central to Android Jelly Bean.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Gets Stock Jelly Bean

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NVIDIA Shield Goes on Sale May 20th for $349

Links not working? Update to the latest version of NVision!

There's a significant change in the works at YouTube that's going to affect the way YouTube Partners broadcast their shows and general content, hopefully resulting in another entertainment boom.

As announced in the midst of Google I/O 2013 via the official YouTube blog, live streaming is being made available to a much, much wider range of people on the website.

Provided that you're in good standing with the website and the community—and have at least 1000 subscribers to your channel—you'll be able to apply for access to live feeds, which can be activated in the "Account Features" menu.

Google and YouTube HQ expect the feature to launch in a few weeks, which carries the following benefits:

• You get real-time transcoding in the cloud, so you only need to send us your highest quality stream and we make it instantly available in all resolutions and device formats
• You can show multiple camera angles, add closed captions, and insert ads and slates
• Viewers can watch the live stream from any device, get the best quality constantly adjusting to their Internet connection, and can skip back and forth in the live stream

(Check out the community guidelines for a recap, just in case you're hosting some unusual content.)

Expanded live streaming from the YouTube community should see a major shift in channel activity, especially given the variety of content that can be found in the network, like indie podcasts, critic reviews and video game playthroughs.

Although NVision brings you Android, tech, gaming and movie news around the clock, even we can't get to everything worth seeing on the Internet. But to help you out—especially for a crowded day of coverage on Google I/O 2013 in San Francisco—here's today's required reading for May 15th, 2013.

• Surprising more than a few attendees at Google I/O, company CEO Larry Paige took to the stage near the end of the opening keynote to talk about building new technology and using "a piece of the world" as a testing environment. TechCrunch has a brief summary of the high points and quotes right over here.

• Among the various product releases and updates, one of the most important is the new Google Maps, which is currently taking invitations ahead of its public rollout. Android Police breaks down the entire thing with a generous amount of livestream images and analysis.

• TIME outlined five things that they think Google has to do for their music streaming service to be a success—and now that Google Music All Access is an official product, they've got a small recap looking at the result. In short, they found it underwhelming. (But we're looking forward to tinkering with it.)

• Google may be doing their own stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, but Android and Me reports that an HTC employee is hinting at a better alternative in the works. Maybe HTC has a pure Google smartphone of their own coming up?

• In a curious choice of words, Google says that "the end of search" is coming sooner than we think, thanks to evolving voice commands that will eventually be conversational, rather than automated. The Washington Post recaps exactly what that meant, and how we're slowly getting close to that goal.

• Not much was said about Google Glass, which is still in the early phases of hitting the public space, but MIT Technology Review relays an interesting guideline that Google has been sending to developers: "Go ahead and hack Glass. See what you can do with it."

Samsung Galaxy fans have something big to look forward to this summer—Google has revealed at a new model of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is headed to Google Play on June 26th.

At $649 per unit, the major attraction is that it runs stock Android Jelly Bean, much like the Nexus devices.

That means you'll have access to many of the features seen in the core devices, such as multiple windows, S-beam tech and immediate OS updates from the Google mothership.

It's certainly not cheap, but that's because the devices sells unlocked on AT&T and T-Mobile with LTE support.

There's 16GB of storage to boot, but you can naturally expand that with an SD card.

People may have been expecting a new Nexus device instead, but it's fairly reasonable to say that the Android platform is ubiquitous with Samsung's ultra-popular Galaxy S series.

That may change in the next few years or so, but there's clearly no harm in pushing the leading gadget line.

Plus, with every bit of Samsung's software completely wiped from the S4 hardware, there will be no mistaking it as a major incentive for new Android converts, or those with much older devices.