iPod touch (6th generation) vs. New Nintendo 3DS XL - Gizmag

It’s difficult to define the purpose of the iPod touch, but it’s fair to say that one of its biggest uses is gaming. How does it compare to the latest release in a long-running dedicated portable gaming line, the New 3DS XL?

Size

Even when it’s closed (as the measurements above reflect), the New 3DS XL is much larger than the sixth generation iPod touch, measuring 30 percent wider, 60 percent taller and 352 percent thicker. Suffice to say, the touch will feel much more comfortable than the 3DS in your pocket.

Weight

The 3DS is more than three and a half times heavier than the iPod touch.

Build

The build of the Nintendo handheld is unashamedly plastic, though this latest model does feel higher-end than older 3DS variants.

Colors

You can pick up Apple’s product in six different colors, while the New 3DS XL is only available in a choice of red or black.

Display size

The extra size of Nintendo’s system comes into play here, with the handheld offering two screens, both of which are considerably larger than that of the iPod touch.

Display resolution

It’s the opposite story when it comes to resolution, with the iPod touch’s screen providing 343 percent the pixels per inch you’ll find on the New 3DS XL. The top screen on Nintendo’s handheld doubles up vertical pixels to allow for the 3D effect, providing an effective resolution of 400 x 240 “per eye”.

Both the original 3DS, the 2DS and the New Nintendo 3DS (currently not available in the US) feature smaller screens than the current XL model, but the resolution is the same across all variants. You’ll find that you can easily pick out individual pixels on the XL’s larger displays.

Touchscreen

The iPod touch makes use of the same capacitive touch tech you’ll find on modern smartphones. The New 3DS XL’s lower screen is also touch-enabled, but it uses much older resistive tech. However, you generally interact with the 3DS’s touchscreen using the included stylus, so the outdated tech doesn’t have a negative impact on the experience.

Glasses-free 3D

One of the 3DS’s key features is its ability to provide glasses-free 3D gaming. This has actually been improved on the New 3DS models. It now uses face tracking tech to move the 3D sweet spot to wherever your eyes are, meaning you no longer have to hold the machine in the perfect position to avoid ruining the effect.

Physical controls

While many mobile games have come up with clever, innovative control schemes, using physical controls still feels far more accurate.

Nintendo actually added a few new controls with the release of the New 3DS XL. There’s a small secondary control stick, known as the C-Stick, which gives users better camera control in games such as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, as well as an extra set of shoulder buttons.

Stylus

As previously mentioned, the 3DS comes with a stylus that slides into the bottom edge of the casing.

Battery

Apple rates the sixth generation iPod touch for around 8 hours of video playback. The amount of gaming time you’ll get on Nintendo’s handheld varies wildly depending on whether you have the 3D effect switched on or not. Switch it off and you’ll get up to 7 hours of play time.

Charger included

As there have been so many different versions of the DS and 3DS, Nintendo has decided that most gamers will already have a compatible charger lying around, so they didn’t bother to put one in the box. It’s a cost-saving move, and one that’s not especially considerate of the consumer.

Processor

There’s a huge difference in what you’ll find powering these two machines. Apple’s device is powered by a speedy in-house chip, while the New 3DS offers a much more diminutive solution. A glance at the clock speed will give you an idea of just how big a difference there is between these processors.

That said, Nintendo has a knack for getting great visuals out of comparatively underpowered hardware. You’re certainly not going to see PS Vita level graphics on this thing, however selected titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Super Mario 3D World, look great. The glasses-free 3D also plays a big part here, lending graphically mediocre titles that extra visual pop.

Graphics

It’s a similar story here, with the iPod touch’s GPU far outstripping the 3DS’s.

RAM

The iPod touch packs more memory, but the New 3DS XL augments things with 10 MB VRAM.

Internal storage

Apple’s device can be configured with up to an expansive 128 GB internal storage, while the New 3DS XL packs only a single gigabyte of built-in space.

External storage

If you plan to download any games on Nintendo’s system, then you’ll need a microSD card. The company bundles in a 4GB card with every system, but that space will be quickly eaten up, so it’s advisable to pick up a higher capacity card.

Nintendo actually made some big changes to the external storage situation on the New 3DS line. Previous 3DS models made use of full-sized SD cards, and you used to be able to click them in and out as desired. With the current version of the system, the microDS card slot is hidden under the back cover, and you’ll need to undo several case screws to get at it.

Game formats

You can buy either physical or digital copies of games on Nintendo’s handheld console.

Cellular

Neither product is offered in a cellular variant.

Cameras

Apple made some big improvements with to the sixth generation iPod touch’s cameras, and they’ll take vastly superior shots compared to those you’ll get from the 3DS. There are dual lenses on the back of the Nintendo handheld, allowing you to take 3D snaps. Given the poor quality of the optics, the feature is more for developers than anything you’d ever want to use a camera.

Game storefront

Apple’s App Store is full of great casual games, and even offers a handful of console ports, such as Telltale’s excellent Game of Thrones series, numerous Grand Theft Auto titles and more. If you’re looking to get your Candy Crush fix, or are a fan of touch-centric titles like Monument Valley or the Infinity Blade series, then the iPod touch provides a great entry point into Apple’s extensive ecosystem.

However, if you’re looking for more AAA titles – thoroughbred gamer games – then the 3DS will be more to your liking. It’s worth noting that Nintendo’s systems tend to carry different sorts of games to those you’d find on the PS Vita or home consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.

There’s a focus on family-friendly titles, and you’ll find a lot of side scrollers like Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and New Super Mario Bros. 2. If you’re looking for more mature titles, such as first person shooters, then Sony’s handheld might be more up your street.

Software

The iPod touch runs on the same iOS 8 OS you’ll find on the latest iPhones and iPads. Like all other Nintendo consoles, the New 3DS XL relies on a proprietary OS that’s specific to the product line.

Release

While both devices technically launched this year, the New 3DS XL is just the latest refresh of a four year old product.

It has a little more horsepower than previous versions of the handheld, and there are one or two games that will only work on the new system (such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D), but it’s really a variant of the same product Nintendo released back in 2011.

Starting price

Apple and Nintendo’s devices might be wildly different in almost every respect, but they have one thing in common – their asking price.

For more, you can check out Gizmag’s full reviews of the 6th-gen iPod touch and new 3DS XL.

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Another Report Claims No iPad Air 3 Launching in Near Future - Mac Rumors

Apple is expected to announce new iPhones and iPads over the next month or so in preparation for the holiday shopping season, but it remains unclear which iPad models in particular will be unveiled.

It is widely believed that a new iPad mini 4 will be announced, but rumors about the iPad Air 3 and so-called “iPad Pro” and their respective release dates have been inconsistent thus far.

A new report from Taiwanese blog DigiTimes offers some further details, corroborating a previous rumor that Apple is not planning an iPad Air 3 right now and focusing its efforts on the iPad mini 4.

The report claims that Apple’s upstream supply chain is readying components for the fourth-generation tablet, noting that it will only have minor upgrades over the current iPad mini. Recent reports suggest the upcoming 7.9-inch tablet will likely be a slimmed down version of the iPad Air 2 and support split-view multitasking.

DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans, so its latest report should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt. Moreover, the more reliable Japanese blog Mac Otakara reported in July that an A9-based iPad Air 3 is still possible for 2015, so Apple’s roadmap remains unclear and could change between now and the forthcoming iPhone and iPad event.

Apple has faced six consecutive quarters of declining iPad sales year-over-year as the broader tablet market continues to decline.

Related roundup: iPad Air 2 , Tags: digitimes.com, iPad Air 3

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iPhone 6S or 7: new phone won't sell, says analyst - The Week UK

As we near the likely launch date of the new iPhone, which may be called either the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7, Wall Street is getting jumpy about its chances of driving up Apple’s revenues and profits.

“Apple is slumping as the usually high-flying tech company struggles to impress investors with the burden of raised expectations,” News.com.au reports.

Acknowledging that the company sold 47 million iPhones last quarter, 35 per cent more than a year ago, it nevertheless notes that analysts had expected even more – and suggests that there could be worse news to come.

“KGI Securities, which has an accurate track record when it comes to predicting the success of future Apple products, is now forecasting zero or even negative growth of iPhone sales in the last quarter of 2015,” the paper reports.

In other words, the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 will sell less well than its predecessor.

The result has been a sharp sell-off of Apple shares, which peaked at $ 133.60 in February. They closed yesterday at $ 115.24, a fall of 14 per cent since then  - in part because China’s falling currency will make imports more expensive, hurting iPhone sales there (see video below).

Even so, Apple remains by some margin the most valuable company in the world by market capitalisation.

Video: Apple’s China problem

iPhone 6S or 7: launch ‘set for 9 September’

Here’s what we know about the iPhone 6S – or could it be the iPhone 7? – a month before its likely launch date

13 August

Apple is planning to reveal its new smartphone – likely to be called either the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 – on Wednesday 9 September, according to reports that have been seized on by Apple enthusiasts.

And today a significant leak set out the way in which Apple plans to implement what is likely to be the most significant new feature – Force Touch.

Force Touch for iPhone

For several months Apple has been expected to furnish the iPhone 6S or 7 with Force Touch, a new input method already available on the Apple Watch and MacBook laptop. But now we know precisely how it will work on the smartphone, if today’s leak turns out to be correct.

Force Touch makes use of a modified touchscreen which can differentiate between a light tap and a longer, harder touch, and react differently to each. For example, on the Apple Watch, a light tap on an email opens it up to be read, while more sustained pressure takes the user directly to the reply screen.

On the iPhone 6S or 7, says 9to5Mac, Force Touch will let you skip long lists of menus.

“A user can look up a point of interest in the Maps application, and then Force Touch on the destination to immediately begin turn-by-turn directions, the website says. “Currently, if a user wants to start navigating to a destination, she must search for the point of interest, click the navigation logo on the map view, then click another button to actually start navigating. In this case, the Force Touch gesture will skip two steps.”

In other contexts, Force Touch will bring up menus containing further options, for example a firm press on the phone icon on the home screen will let you “shortcut directly to the voicemail tab”.

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iPhone 6S or 7 launch date

Late last week, details emerged about when Apple would unveil the 2015 iPhone upgrade.

“The company intends to hold a special event the week of Sept. 7, with Wednesday the 9th being the most likely date,” reports John Paczkowski of Buzzfeed.

Tech news site MacRumors says Paczkowski “has provided reliable information on event dates in the past”, but a Wednesday launch for the iPhone 7 would break with recent Apple tradition. For the past two years, Apple has held each of its annual iPhone events on a Tuesday, with the new models going on sale on the Friday of the following week. For that reason, The Independent suggests that Tuesday 8 September is the likely launch date.

Doubt also surrounds the extent of the changes planned for Apple’s flagship phone – as well as the new model’s name.

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Most commentators say the company will keep to its usual product launch schedule, in which it follows an all-new product one year with minor upgrades the next.

After last year’s iPhone 6, which brought in a new look, larger screens and significant new features, major changes this autumn would come as a surprise. Therefore, they say, the 2015 model will be called the iPhone 6S.

But Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities with contacts inside Apple’s Chinese and Taiwanese supply chains, has said that this year’s upgrade will be substantial enough for Apple to justify breaking with tradition and calling the new phone the iPhone 7.

Apple itself never comments on new products until their official launch, but the company’s new operating system, iOS 9, reveals many of the developments we can expect in the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7.

“Updates and features include Siri becoming more proactive in recognising your behaviour, longer battery life and improvements to existing apps including Maps and Notes,” says the Daily Telegraph. “The new News app aims to provide an experience akin to reading a magazine, with big glossy visuals.”

• iPhone 7: 14 features for business users

One expert scouring the code of iOS 9, which has already been released to app developers, has found evidence to suggest that the new iPhone will have a much-improved front-facing camera.

Hamsa Sood says the iPhone 7′s “selfie-cam” will be capable of shooting slow-motion, 240 frame-per-second video, along with 1080p video at normal speed, and panoramic still images. Other leaked information is yet to back up this theory, but Sood has been a reliable source of advance information about previous Apple launches.

Most analysts are agreed that Apple will have to increase the resolution of the rear-facing camera to at least 12 megapixels in order to keep pace with rivals, and some have suggested that Apple is planning an even more significant camera upgrade (see below).

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More iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 rumours

There’s nothing like a new Apple product to fire up the rumour mill. Here’s what tech insiders think we can expect from the iPhone 7:

More powerful processor: Back in January a Taiwanese tech news website reported that sources in the Apple supply chain had revealed that the iPhone 6S would have 2GB of Ram, twice what’s available in the iPhone 6. It seemed like a credible claim given that Apple often upgrades processor chips the year after it releases an all-new iPhone design, and it has since been backed up by similar reports from other sources. AppleInsider reported last week that its own inside man has confirmed that the new phones will go on sale with a 2GB chip. “Additional Ram would allow iOS to leave background tasks and tabs in Safari open for longer without a need to reload or refresh,” it says. “But additional RAM can also come with costs to battery life, as memory constantly consumes power.”

Sapphire crystal display: Persistent rumours and reports suggested that the last iPhone would benefit from a sapphire crystal screen coating - and immensely strong glass-like substance that is highly scratch resistance - but in the end it never materialised. Reports suggest that Apple and its suppliers had trouble manufacturing sufficient quantities to equip the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but already the rumour mill is chattering about the prospect of a sapphire crystal iPhone 7. That may be wishful thinking, but the company did use sapphire crystal for the Apple Watch, which launched in the spring – and has been keen to transfer technology from the watch to its smartphones.

Dual-lens camera: In February rumours emerged that the camera could be in line for a substantial overhaul. John Gruber of Daring Fireball, a respected source of Apple information, said he has heard that the iPhone 7 might get “the biggest camera jump ever”. He added: “I don’t even know what sense this makes, but I’ve heard that it’s some kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery.” That vague suggestion has now been largely discredited, as adding a second lens to the rear of the camera would require a thorough redesign of the handset chassis, and that’s unlikely so soon after the all-new iPhone 6 was released (see below). Nevertheless, much speculation has been devoted to the camera, and changes are still expected.

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Few high-profile design changes: Having come up with an all-new aesthetic for the iPhone 6, Apple is unlikely to alter the overall look and feel of the handset for the next update. Until recently, the assumption was that the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 would look all but identical to its predecessor, but the latest reports suggest that the new phone may be slightly thicker, taller and wider (see above). Most analysts still believe that there will be no dramatic redesign, with most physical changes imperceptible at first glance. 

New aluminium frame: Although the design is unlikely to change substantially, it may be built from a new material. According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, Apple is planning to make use of the “Series 7000″ aluminium alloy it developed for the Apple Watch on its smartphones too. The metal is “designed to be 60 per cent stronger than most aluminum, and one-third the density of stainless steel, while still maintaining a light weight”, MacRumors says.

Higher-resolution screen: When Apple launched the iPhone 4 in June 2010, it said the “Retina” screen provided the maximum resolution perceptible to the human eye. Nevertheless, it stepped up resolution for the iPhone 6 Plus, boosting pixels per inch from 326 to 401 for its supersized smartphone and describing the new screen as a “Retina HD Display”. The 4.7-inch model retained the 326ppi screen, but reports from China quoting supply chain sources suggest that the smaller version of the iPhone 7 may get a screen that’s slightly larger and significantly sharper. “The iPhone 7 could very well sport a five-inch screen with 400ppi resolution,” says 

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Four-inch iPhone 6C or 7C: The rumour that refuses to die… Perhaps more in hope than expectation, a range of Apple-watchers have been predicting that the company will supplement its iPhone range with a high-spec four-inch-screen iPhone mini. Apple used to specialise in small-screened phones, but since the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, fans of four-inchers have had to make do with the 5S which is beginning to show its age. Leaks suggest that Apple will keep building a four-inch phone, but it remains unclear whether it will be an all-new iPhone Mini or an updated version of the 5S.

A trade-in scheme for non iPhone users: iPhone owners are already able to trade in old phones for the latest models, and now Apple is planning to extend the offer to owners of smartphones made by other companies. “Apple will soon introduce a new recycling and trade-in program that will accept non-Apple smartphones, notably including Android and BlackBerry devices, in exchange for gift cards to be used toward the purchase of new iPhones,” reports 

iPhone 7: ‘ugly’ plastic strips to remain on new iPhone

8 August

When Apple unveils its next smartphone – likely to be called either the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 – it will retain one of its predecessor’s least-loved features: the translucent plastic strips on the rear of the handset.

Recent reports had suggested that Apple was working to replace the plastic tramlines, which let radio waves penetrate the iPhone’s aluminium casing. 

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Haute Dog: MAC Cosmetics Launches New Canine-Inspired Collection - Hollywood Life

Courtesy of MAC

MAC just launched its newest makeup collection, and instead of collaborating with celebs like Miley Cyrus and Rihanna, the cosmetics company took inspiration from your favorite canine. Raise your paws if you're excited for the new MAC Collection!

Leave it to MAC Cosmetics to make us want (no, need), an entire makeup collection inspired by dogs. The new Haute Dog Collection takes its colors and names from your pets, and it's not as weird as you think. Click ahead to see the entire collection, and get the details on when you can get it, below!

Cats have definitely had their moment, but since we don't know anyone more pampered than our puppies, it seems only right that MAC would create a makeup line inspired by our BFFs — why should Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette have all the beauty fun?

If you're wondering what makeup designed after your dog could possibly look like, you're about to be pleasantly surprised. The limited edition collection includes several eyeshadow palettes, MAC's classic fluidline gel liner, lipsticks, glosses nail polishes and everything else you need to create a bold beauty look. Plus everything from the rich berry shades for fall to the fur coat-inspired sandy hues were given names like Barking Gorgeous, Fashion Pack and Rare Breed to reflect the canine collection.

MAC Cosmetic's Dog Collection — See The New Makeup

The MAC Haute Dog Collection is available at maccosmetics.com, and will be in stores August 20th. The limited edition collection will only be around through October 1st, so don't miss out!

Which puppy-inspired products are you most excited to try, HollywoodLifers?

— Marissa DeSantis

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