Konami held a big Metal Gear Solid event today, as part of the game’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, during which it revealed that it will be launching a Metal Gear Solid game for smartphones and tablets later in the year, called Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops. Pocket Gamer reports that the game is a fully 3D game for the GREE platform, and is powered by the Unity engine. In typical Konami fashion, the legendary company is not giving too much away about the game yet, save to say that you will have to cooperate with other players if you want to vanquish Metal Gear. However, the art accompanying the announcement will make a lot of Metal Gear Solid fans very happy, as it reveals who will be in the game, and clearly features all the fan favourites that you can think of, such as Snake of course, old Solid Snake, Raiden, Meryl, Olga, Eva, and a few others I can spot there too, possibly Liquid. This is going to be fantastic! As Pocket Gamer notes, specific mobile platforms have yet to be announced by Konami for the game, but I think we can safely assume that iOS will be one of the main platforms that the game will be designed for.

Source: Konami announces Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops at 25th anniversary MGS event | Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops news | iPhone | Pocket Gamer

AppleInsider writes today that a new photo has appeared online of what is claimed to be the first sighting of the iPhone 5’s A6 processor. The photo was posted on Twitter by Sonny Dickson, and is said to show the next iPhone’s logic board complete with A6 processor. If the picture of the processor is genuine, then it would indicate an upgrade from the A5 chip that was used in the iPhone 4S and the A5X chip with upgraded graphics that powers the newest iPad. AppleInsider says that it’s actually a very big “if”, however, despite the fact that the actual logic board seems similar to other iPhone 5 logic board photos that have been posted previously. The image is very low quality, and therefore could very easily be a fake. Still, let’s hope that it is actually genuine, as it would be great to see the new chip for the first time and to have confirmation of the existence of the A6 chip.

Source: Blurry photo claims to show A6 CPU in Apple's next iPhone

Capcom today announced that the popular Phoenix Wright series is being spruced up for release on iOS devices, with an HD compilation entitled Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD, which features the first three games in the Ace Attorney series: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations. The games follow the career of eccentric defence attorney Phoenix Wright as he tries to prove his seemingly guilty clients’ innocence. Each of the games includes all gameplay content directly from the Nintendo DS versions, with the addition of re-mastered HD graphics and responsive on-screen controls fine-tuned for the iOS platform. The trilogy will also come with the Everyone Object mode which is like your own little Ace Attorney beeper to use in everyday social networking situations. Simply press a button to have an Ace Attorney character tell your friends off with an apt phrases, such as “Objection!”, “Hold it!” or “Take that!” via email or in a tweet, complete with animated images. Lawyers may find it particularly useful! The HD trilogy will be available this fall on iOS with the first two chapters of the first game available for free, and each full game available to buy either individually or as the full trilogy.

Source: Capcom

Having troubles with your Apple gadgets? Well since this morning getting help with everything you need is just one click away. Cupertino just updated its official site with a brand new helpful feature that brings the good old Genius bar into the on-line world.

The new feature enables users to conduct one-on-one chats with Apple specialist personal without having to go all the way to their nearest Apple store. Users might ask for help if they are undecided concerning which product to buy or they just have a tough time setting up the product they just purchased. Apple stated:

"In addition to customers already being able to chat, request a call with a specialist and experience a guided tour of the store, now customers can schedule an online session to set up their iPhone or iPad device. When you have a new product, Specialists are on hand to help you get set up, configure your email, stay in sync with iCloud and more."

For now the feature has been made available in just a few selected countries which includes the UK, Germany, Spain and Brazil and is aimed at customers looking to acquire or who just acquired an iPhone or iPad. Strangely enough the service hasn’t made to the U.S. just yet. In order to ask their questions, customers only have to click the “Ask Now” button that pops up on the top of the page every time one is shopping for an iOS device.

By Radu

Source: Apple Store has Online Geniuses to Offer Support and Apple Online Store Specialist - Apple Store (UK)

With a new iPhone just weeks away, people will be starting to think about what to do with their old iPhones. The Next Web reports today that Apple is currently offering up to $345/£300 for your old iPhone 4S (or other iPhone or iPad) via its Reuse and Recycle service. Basically you can go to the website and enter in your device’s model, colour and condition, and you will then be offered a price for your item. The value of your device will depend on what sort of condition it’s in, of course. All you have to do then if you’re happy with the deal is accept the offer, then send in your device, complete with its power cable, and in return, Apple will send you a gift certificate which you can use to get money off a new item in the online store. You can also do the same thing in person at an Apple store.

Source: Apple Will Now Give You up to $345 For Your Old iPhone 4S

iPhone 5 parts leaks are coming thick and fast every day now as we near the September 12 launch date, and AppleInsider has word of three new photos that iLounge posted that are purported to be of various iPhone 5 accessories from Scosche, such as charging units, a case, and a converter to adapt your old accessory to the new 9-pin connector. AppleInsider notes that the headphone jack is missing in the photos, despite recent rumours that it has been moved to the bottom of the phone. This might just mean that the case does not have a space for the headphone jack, but that seems unlikely. Also shown are dual-device chargers, including in-car chargers, both of which are said to be supplied with a Micro USB conversion cable. As AppleInsider points out, there is no way of knowing if the accessories are genuine, although that said, they actually do look pretty genuine.

Source: Rumor: Next-gen iPhone accessories with 9-pin dock connector revealed

According to a report in The Telegraph today, Apple is planning to launch a new and improved version of AirPlay, which does not require a Wi-Fi network to run, and which will instead require either just speakers or a hifi connected to an iDevice. The Telegraph says that it has heard from its sources who are familiar with Apple’s plans that this new version of AirPlay will be launched on September 12 by Apple, at the same time as it launches the next iPhone. The sources also say that AirPlay Direct could just be a working title, with no official title being decided upon yet. The current version of AirPlay lets the user play music on their iPods, iPads and iPhones directly to speakers that have been fitted with Apple’s purpose-built chip, and which Apple says is better in terms of sound than using BlueTooth to connect to speakers, as an Android device might do, for example.

Source: Apple ‘AirPlay Direct’ planned for September launch - Telegraph
Via AppleInsider

Over the past couple of days one or two stories have emerged based on parts said to be from the next iPhone that have suggested that it might feature Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. Now AppleInsider reports that according to AnandTech, this is not actually so likely after all. AnandTech’s premise is that because the next iPhone will probably have a mainly metal back plate, this could mean that NFC will not be featured. The reason for this is because basically, an NFC antenna would need more room, needing “as big and dense of a coil as possible.” AnandTech says that the strange chip that some reports took to be NFC-related might in fact have something to do with the next iPhone’s in-cell touchscreen. It looks like AnandTech’s theory might be right on the money as well, with the always well-sourced Jim Dalrymple of The Loop basically giving them the thumbs up in a post.

Source: Apple's next iPhone not expected to feature NFC technology
No NFC on the new iPhone

Engadget reports today that it looks like T-Mobile will still be the bridesmaid of iPhone carriers on September 21 when the next iPhone will be released, as a newly leaked memo discovered by TmoNews appears to show that T-Mobile staff are being instructed to start “selling against the iPhone” from September 21. Aside from being even more confirmation that the iPhone 5 will be going onsale in America from September 21, it also shows, as Engadget points out, that T-Mobile will most likely not be getting Apple’s next iPhone, as if it was, why would it be telling its employees to try and sell customers any other phones than the iPhone. You’d think that if Apple had finally granted T-Mobile’s wish and allowed it to start selling the iPhone the memo would be more along the lines of “yay, rejoice! iPhones for everyone, go forth and sell lovely iPhone goodness!” or something along those lines. Never mind T-Mobile, there’s always the iPhone 6!

Source: T-Mobile memo asks staff to sell 'against the iPhone' on September 21st - Engadget

AppleInsider reports today on how a stolen iPhone led police in San Francisco on a dramatic chase, which included firing on suspects and even locking down an elementary school for a short time. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the drama began to unfold at 6:30 am when a member of the public had their iPhone snatched in the Ocean View area of the city. Police used Find My iPhone via iCloud to track the iPhone to Noe Valley. The suspects ran away when they saw the police arrive, with one of them trying to jump over a fence to hide in St Paul’s Catholic Church, which is adjacent to an elementary school. Police therefore had to put the school on lockdown for 30 minutes. The police managed to corner the suspect, who was shot at by a policewoman after she was confronted by the suspect with their hand concealed. The suspect then escaped again when the shot missed, but police managed to arrest the other suspect nearby, and once again tracked the stolen phone to a car three miles away, where they also found a third suspect, and another suspect who was hiding in the car’s trunk, along with a haul of stolen smartphones.

Source: San Francisco police fire gun, close school in chase to recover stolen iPhone

The Next Web reports today that according to a new report from app analytics firm Flurry, iOS and Android devices are enjoying a period of astonishingly rapid adoption-rate growth, with the current rate of growth being greater than that of any other consumer technology ever in history. Aside from the obvious growth of smartphone adoption, as the Next Web says, what is possibly most remarkable about these statistics are the comparisons with other areas of the industry. For example, Flurry’s figures show that iOS and Android devices are being adopted at a rate of 10x faster than PCs were being adopted during the 80s PC “revolution”, 2x faster than the adoption rate of the 90s Internet boom period, and 3x the recent social networks boom period. Flurry also says that approximately 640 million iOS and Android devices were being used in the last month. Also interesting is seeing the breakdown of countries where iOS and Android devices are being adopted fastest, with China out in front at 401% and Chile in second place with 279%, just ahead of Brazil with 220%.

Source: Flurry: iOS/Android Growing Faster Than Any Consumer Tech

AppleInsider writes that according to sources who have been in touch with TechCrunch, AT&T has banned staff from going on vacation from September 21 until September 30, which also just happens to be the same time period that Verizon has been reported as telling its staff they can’t have any leave either. The anonymous AT&T sales representative also told TechCrunch that AT&T employees are currently in training for an “iconic release”, but they wouldn’t say what. Well, I really can’t think what that might be. Does it start with an “i” by any chance? Just guessing. As AppleInsider notes, this is yet another piece of evidence to suggest that the iPhone 5’s actual on-sale date, in the US at least, will be September 21, which also just happens to be a Friday, Apple’s usually preferred day for product releases. Expect Apple to announce a launch event on September 12 any day now.

Update: 9to5 Mac has an update on this story today, saying that AT&T has denied that it has a vacation black-out for this time period, and explaining the TechCrunch story by saying that maybe the store that TechCrunch's source worked at had their own specific vacation blackout, but that a nationwide holiday blackout for AT&T employees is most definitely not on the cards.

Source: Reported AT&T vacation blackout points to Sept. 21 next-gen iPhone launch
http://9to5mac.com/2012/08/27/att-de...ackout-rumors/