Sony's PS4 virtual reality headset to be announced in March

Sony developing Virtual Reality headset for PS4

Sony is preparing to reveal the final piece of its PS4 hardware strategy at TGS by showcasing a PlayStation-branded virtual reality head-mounted display, CVG has learned.

[Update: Following the publication of this article, CVG has been told by people connected to the matter that there are no longer any existing plans to publicly showcase the virtual reality headset at the Tokyo Game Show.

In August, when Sony abandoned its initial strategy to reveal the device at Gamescom, CVG was told at the time that the reveal had been be pushed back to the Tokyo event. Now the expectation is to showcase the headset in 2014.

Executives at Sony have demonstrated the VR display to a select number of developers at E3 and Gamescom, and will also conduct closed-doors meetings at TGS.

Sony originally intended to reveal the headset at Gamescom but plans fell through at the eleventh hour. The company is currently weighing up whether the PS4 device should be pitched as a key differentiator for the console or a non-essential add-on.

The matter has been slightly complicated, but not derailed, by the growing industry support for Oculus Rift. Sony's device will be a categorical rival to Oculus, and for months there have been rumours suggesting the two companies are seeking a partnership.

A games developer familiar with Sony's plans, who wished to remain anonymous, told CVG that Evolution Studios is currently working with the device to simulate a cockpit view on its

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The rise of the phablet

Go back to 2010 and you'd be hard pushed to find a handset which sported a screen bigger than 4 inches. Back then the big phones of the year were the 3.5-inch iPhone 4, 3.7-inch HTC Desire and the 4-inch Samsung Galaxy S.

Today we're seeing handsets rocking screens in excess of 6-inches, while the bustling budget tablet market is churning out top quality devices in the 7-inch arena.

The line between phones and tablets is more blurred than it's ever been and the considerable amount of crossover has resulted in the coining of the rather inelegant phrase "phablet" - love it or hate it, the phrase and the devices it's attached to are here to stay.

In the beginning

Our first real taste of a phablet was back in 2011 when the Samsung Galaxy Note was launched to a muted response. People scoffed at its ridiculously large 5.3-inch display and 90s S-Pen stylus, but little did we know Samsung was onto something.

Alan Thomas from Carphone Warehouse explains: "The phablet was a slow burner. When the original Samsung Galaxy Note hit the shelves it wasn't instantly popular. The industry as a whole didn't know what to make of it.

"But, as Samsung marketed it and showed what it could do, why you use it, people found it offered something they wanted."

Samsung's Note series remains the most recognised of the phablet generation with the Korean firm adding the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 3 in the following years, but it has now been joined by the likes of Sony, Nokia and HTC in the race for the best supersized smartphone.

It's still not clear what defines a phablet, and Thomas told us "it's getting a bit debatable, but typically a phablet has a screen size larger than 5.3 inches and smaller than 7 inches. Tablets normally have screens of 7 inches and over and smartphone screens tend to be 5.2 inches or under.

"There is a little bit of overlap and it's largely due to how the manufacturer chooses to market their devices."

Why oh why?

There wasn't much of a calling for our smartphones to dramatically increase in size before the Galaxy Note popped its head up, so what advantages do phablets actually provide?

Thomas notes: "people have really begun to use their smartphones a lot more for the internet, and the larger screens make it more

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iPad Pro release date, rumours and news

Apple did something interesting with the launch of the latest full-sized iPad (aside from a total hardware revamp): Gave it a new name. The iPad Air alludes to the Cupertino, Calif. company adopting the naming convention of its laptop lines, the MacBook Air and Pro series, for its premiere range of tablets.

Logic would dictate, then, that if Apple were to release an even more sizable iPad, it would be with a professional bent and named the iPad Pro. So, we're looking at 2014 for a newer, bigger iPad entering a product category that has seen little success thus far. Will Apple be the one to legitimize the "professional's tablet?"

Cut to the chase

What is it? A brand new, larger iPad

When will it release? Either spring or fall 2014, we expect

What will it cost? Likely somewhere between the iPad Air and MacBook Air

iPad Pro release date

The iPad Pro release date will be in 2014, following the iPad Air, which released November 1, 2013. However, there are many rumors regarding the tablet's firm release date.

Unnamed Foxconn sources have told Chinese news site Pad News that Apple plans either a late winter/spring or October 2014 release date. To further confuse things, these sources also claim that Apple is working on two versions of the pro-level slate.

According to Pad News, an iPad Pro with a 2K screen resolution will launch in April 2014, while a 4K iPad Pro will land in October. Korea Times's sources at a "local first-tier display supplier" report that a single version will launch "sometime early next year" with a nearly UHD resolution.

Even more sources reporting to China's United Daily News, point to another iPad Pro manufacturing partner entirely: Quanta Computer. DigiTimes's sources (hit-and-miss with rumors) recently backed up this report, claiming that Apple expected the manufacturer to have either a 12.9 or 13.3-inch model ready. Now, the Taiwanese outlet's sources say that Apple is leaning toward the smaller screen.

As if to mix things up even more, International Business Times reports that Apple is aiming for winter or even a spring 2015 release, according to its Foxconn sources.

Computer World points out that most US school districts determine their budgets in January or February each year. So, a fall or winter 2014 launch would make the most sense.

The competition already heats up

Samsung beat Apple to the punch in

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Sony Xperia Z2 release date, news and rumours

Sony loves a flagship smartphone and, if current rumors ring true, the Japanese firm is lining up its third in just over a year in the form of the Sony Xperia Z2.

January 2013 saw the arrival of the Xperia Z at CES in Las Vegas, which was followed in September 2013 by the Xperia Z1 at IFA in Berlin - and now we're hearing that the Xperia Z2 will arrive at MWC 2014 at the end of February.

Compare Sony's product cycle to the likes of Samsung or Apple - where we see an annual reboot of real flagships such as the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S - and you start wondering whether the Japanese firm has gone mad, or perhaps is onto something.

We've rounded up all the latest news, leaks and rumors surrounding the Xperia Z2 to bring you a comprehensive overview of what you may be able to expect from the phone.

Sony Xperia Z2 release date and price

There were rumors suggesting the Sony Xperia Z2 would be outed at CES 2014, but instead we were given the Xperia Z1 Compact and a US variant of the Xperia Z1.

April 2014 has also been mooted as a potential Xperia Z2 release date, but this date now appears to have gone cold.

This means all eyes are now on MWC 2014, with perennial leaker @evleaks tipping the codenamed Sony Sirius handset for a show appearance.

Sony Xperia Z2 display

According to Xperia Z2 specs leaked online, the handset is in line for a stunning 5.2-inch display - up from the 5-inch screen on the Xperia Z1 - and, if true, it would mean the Z2 would match the LG G2 in terms of size.

With a rumored 506ppi, 2K screen, the Xperia Z2 will smash its rivals with its 2560 x 1440 resolution, with the G2 mustering 424ppi and the Xperia Z1 rocking 441ppi full HD solutions.

Sony Xperia Z2 power

While the 2K screen will stand out, when it comes to power things appear to be a little less exciting with reports centering around the same 2.3GHz quad-core processor which you'll find in the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact.

That's not to say the Xperia Z2 will be under-powered - far from it in fact - but we were hoping to see perhaps an octa-core chip inside the next Sony powerhouse. Of course that is

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Android 4.4 KitKat review

Pros

-Fast and frictionless

-New productivity options

-Project Svelte

-Improved Google Now

Cons

-Hangouts needs work

-Experience Launcher exclusive

-Hopped into bed with Nestle

                                                                            -No split-screen apps

1. Introduction 

Everyone was expecting Key Lime Pie to serve as the delicious moniker for the next version of Android. Google surprised us all by bucking tradition and releasing Android 4.4 under the name KitKat.

Version 4.0 started life as Ice Cream Sandwich, but the last three decimal additions came under the Jelly Bean banner. This new version was obviously deemed different enough to snag a new nickname, but not different enough to merit a jump to version 5.0.

That 0.1 bump hardly does it justice. Don't be fooled: this is an important step up for Android. KitKat is super-smooth, the UI is refined and elegant, there are improvements to the long-neglected calling and messaging side of the platform, a new focus on productivity, and your fortune-telling digital assistant is brought front and centre as Google Now reaches maturity.

 

General surprise in the tech world wasn't just based on the erroneous supposition that Key Lime Pie had to be next; there were also some raised eyebrows at the idea of Google entering into a tawdry cross-licensing deal with Nestle which would see a flood of Android-shaped KitKats hitting the shops offering buyers the chance to win Nexus 7 tablets or Google Play credit.

According to Google the promotion was its idea and no money changed hands. With Nestle producing 50 million Android KitKat bars it certainly looks like a sweet deal for them.

Naming conventions aside, the 4.4 update is about addressing some of the Android criticisms that simply won't go away and it does so with aplomb.

There's a real focus on the consumer here, with a smattering of useful new features, a noticeable bump in performance, and some optimization to ensure that budget hardware is not left behind.

Android 4.4 is easily the best version of the platform to date, and Google has left the ball firmly in the OEMs' court when it comes to rolling out the upgrades.

Leading the field by extending the update beyond its Nexus line to the Moto G also neatly illustrates the move to improve the Android experience on low-end, affordable hardware.

First impressions

KitKat really makes a mockery of the idea that iOS 7 is more refined than Android. This

version of the platform

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Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip Hands-on

Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip review: Hands-on at CES 2014

What is the Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip?

The Sony Vaio Fit 11a is an 11-inch laptop with a clever second screen hinge that lets you flip the screen around, turning the keyboard base into a stand for the display – perfect for watching films or showing someone else what's on-screen. You can also close the laptop with the screen on the outside, turning it into a chunky tablet. To give it more tablet cred, the Fit 11a also has an active digitiser pen. It's a smaller version of the other Fit laptops Sony released last year.

Sony Vaio Fit 11a – Design and Features

The Sony Vaio Fit 11a is a curious mix of things. It's a Ultrabook-ish laptop, it's sort-of a tablet, and it has elements of a graphics tablet too.

It's more than a normal laptop because of two things – the Active pen and the second hinge that sits halfway up the laptop lid. The latter earns the Vaio Fit 11a the title 'flip' computer, because the screen literally flips over, back onto the outside of the laptop lid.

To some this may seem less useful than a full hybrid, because when in its tablet-like form it's very thick for tablet. It's arguably a bit thick to be called an Ultrabook too, although doubtless some will call it one. It weighs 1.27kg, which is light enough to carry around without shoulder ache, if not particularly notable given the screen size.

It's a nicely-built laptop, though, which is a necessary reassurance when the secondary hinge is an obvious point at which the Vaio Fit 11a may fail. It doesn't feel immensely strong but Sony says it has tested the hinge with 20,000 cycles of movement – which we can't really argue with.

The lid is made of metal, but the inner part of it is plastic. It's understandable as this is not an exceedingly expensive laptop. We don't have UK prices, but the Fit 11a starts from $799 in the US – so it'll sell for well under £1000 here.

It's also not a super-powerful PC, though, using a quad-core Pentium N3520 processor rather than the speedier Intel Core type. You get 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, although the spec may change slightly when it hits our shores.

Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip – Screen and Pen

The Sony Vaio Fit

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10 cool things you can make right now with the 3D Printer

3D printers have been around for a few years now, but they've not quite managed to grab the imagination until very recently...

In the last few months, pioneers have picked up the art of 3D printing, looking to build anything from sex toys to food, to entire houses. Some attempts and ventures have been more successful than others, but one thing is clear - 3D printing has enormous potential. It might be less time than you think before we're replicating food in our own homes.

Without further ado, here are 10 of the coolest (and sometimes weirdest) things you can currently make with a 3D printer.

1. ODD Atom guitar

This Les Paul-inspired axe has an intricate lattice design made of Duraform PA, an ultra-strong form of nylon. It’s fused together using selective laser sintering - a more durable form of 3D printing that fuses together multiple 0.1mm layers of nylon powder. Buyers can choose their preferred hardware to go with the printed guitar body.

Link: Odd Guitars | Video

2. Replacement Jaw

In June 2011, a Dutch woman received a replacement jaw. No big deal you may think, but this mandible was built from scratch by a 3D printer. The process is similar to that of the ODD guitar, with layers of powder - this time titanium - fused together by a laser. The result was a replacement jaw that was incredibly accurate to the patient, lowering her recovery time and saving costs for both her and the hospital.

Link: BBC News

3. Flute

This flute is the handiwork of MIT student Amit Zoran. But Zoran is no traditional craftsman - this flute was built via CAD software called Rhino 4.0, and crafted by Objet's Connex500 3D printer. Although it's needs some tweaking, the sound is acoustically very good. We could be seeing all sorts of musical instruments - even totally new designs - being built like this in the future.

Link: Amit Zoran | Video

4. Wiki Weapon

This project to make a 3D-printable gun has been the subject of much media attention, and has made great strides in recent years. So far though, only certain gun components can be machined in this way, and even those are prone to breakage. So no, you can’t print AK-47s in your shed.

Link: Defense Distributed | Video

5. Micro Formula 1 Car

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have printed

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Top smartphones to look forward in 2014

With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, but there's anticipation of something else, the next big thing.

We've rounded up the best smartphones for 2013, those we consider to be the best across all platforms, and we've regularly updated that list as the smartphone world has evolved over the last year. You can find those in our Best smartphones 2013 feature.

Here we're looking at those phones that haven't yet launched, those we know are coming, or are anticipated. Some will be rumour, some will be fact, but here we'll cut through the speculation to highlight those phones we really want to see. We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting, and devices just announced but yet to hit the shelves.

HTC M8/new HTC One

We've known since July 2013 that the next HTC flagship handset is referred to internally as the HTC M8, the successor to the M7, the device that became the HTC One. With HTC saying that the "One" name is here to stay, it's safe to predict that the final commercial name will be new HTC One or HTC One (2014) or something like that. That much has been mentioned by a judge in a patent case in the UK, along with a launch date of Q1 2014.

HTC is a creature of habit, so we'd predict that the next-gen HTC One will launch in February 2014. Perhaps not at Mobile World Congress 2014, but within a few weeks of the mobile tradeshow with its own global launch event and we'd expect the shipping date to be the end of March or early April.

As for the specs, it looks like HTC will be bringing the M8 up to mark with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display and Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0. There's little to surprise in there and we suspect most of the attention will be on the metal body construction as HTC looks to repeat the luscious looks of the 2013 HTC One.

We'll be keeping a close eye on HTC and bringing you any news we hear on the next HTC handset.

Sony Xperia Z2/Sirius

Sony used CES 2014 to launch two devices, the Z1

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Valve Steam Controller Hands-on

Pro

-Precise

-Novel and fun to use

Cons

-Can it keep up with mouse and keyboard players?

Valve has several hurdles to hop before it can turn PC gaming into a living room experience. Besides getting the Steam Box to market with its 13 hardware partners and pushing the SteamOS, it needs to get PC die hards to give a controller a chance.

That's the task the Valve Steam Box controller has before it, and it's no easy one. It needs to offer the versatility and precision that approximates the mouse and keyboard setup.

While Valve has opted to license its SteamOS to hardware partners, it will be manufacturing its own controller. During an offsite event at CES 2014 I had the chance to take Valve's Steam Box controller for a test drive across multiple genres of games.

Now Valve won't be the only one making a Steam controller, those third-party hardware partners will be entering the fray as well. It also won't be forcing anyone to give up the mouse and keyboard. That classic gaming setup may not be couch optimized, but it will be an option for those who value the old ways of fragging a foe.

Valve staff on site at the event told us that the controller we were trying out is not a final build. The Washington-based gaming empire is a bunch of perfectionists, if nothing else. They told us they already had tweaks in mind for the button layout, the form factor and overall feel of the controller.

With that in mind here are our impressions of Valve's Steam Box controller, after diving into a little single player gaming on an internal Valve Steam Box.

Light, nimble and precise

Holding the Steam Controller for the first time I was shocked by its weight, or lack thereof. It's light, to the point where I thought it might be hollow.

That's likely because Valve's final Steam Box controller will be wireless, and the demo versions I used were wired by microUSB. Having a battery in there will definitely add some heft. 

The build is plastic, of course, but feels like quality work. The matte finish shrugs off fingerprints and felt as comfortable and natural as an Xbox One controller.

The most unique aspect of Valve's controller has to be the touchpads. Instead of the analog sticks of a standard console controller you've got two touchpads for

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The Shure SE846

Shure SE846 Review: Hands-on at CES 2014

What are the Shure SE846?

The Shure SE846 are noise isolating earphones. They're the highest-end earphones we've seen from Shure, costing more than double the amount of the Shure SE535 – themselves highly acclaimed earphones.

They're interesting technically and sound fantastic if you like your music with real bass clout.

Shure SE846 – Design and Features

The Shure SE846 are quad-driver earphones, adding an extra driver from the previous flagship SE535 model. They don't look hugely different from the other top-end Shures, though.

There a bit bulbous, and are designed to be worn over the ear, with a stiffened length of cable up by the join with the earbud. Build quality takes a step up with the SE846, and the earphone aperture is made of metal rather than the usual plastic.

This is really necessary as you're able to take the end of the earpiece off. Like the AKG K3003 and Phonak PFE 112, the Shure SE846 use removable filters that tailor the sound to your taste. You need a little tool to do so, and we wouldn't recommend doing it daily, but it's a neat idea. Shure explained that there are three different filters, and they alter the mid-range response, giving you a balanced, mid-heavy or slightly scooped sound that emphasises the treble and bass a little more.

Like the other high-end Shures, the SE846 cable is removable – a good job given how much these earphones cost.

There's a lot of clever engineering that has gone in these headphones, and Shure shows it off with a clear finish that lets you see the micro driver housings.

Shure SE846 – Sound Quality

Although it's easy to think of the SE846 as merely a four-driver version of the SE535, there's actually some different things going on inside. The output from the bass driver is sent through a maze of tiny little metal holes designed to filter out all the frequencies a bass driver isn't designed to handle – so the bass driver functions much like a hi-fi subwoofer, leaving out the top-end and upper-mid frequencies.

The result is immensely impressive bass. The comparison with a subwoofer is a good one too, as we've rarely heard bass this punchy, this low, this powerful, in a pair of headphones, let alone a pair of IEMs. It's seriously impressive, and is the characteristic that really separates the SE846 from the SE535.

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Asus Zenfone 6 Hands-on

Asus Zenfone 6 review: Hands-on

What is the Asus Zenfone 6?

The Asus Zenfone 6 is the largest phone in the new Zenfone line-up. It has a 6-inch screen but is set to sell for under £250 SIM-free, if we don't get done over when the the phone comes here from the US.

We think the Zenfone 5 is the sweet spot in the new range, but this should prove one of the cheapest ways to get a 6-inch phone.

                               lastic parasite won't be included in the final version...

Asus Zenfone 6 – Design

Like any 6-inch phone, the Asus Zenfone 6 is very large. It's a real handful, which is one of the main reasons to consider another phone in the Zenfone range instead of this one.

Build is much the same as the other Zenfone mobiles. Its rear is plastic, and comes in red and gold and well as the more standard black or white. Common to many larger phones, it's slimmer than its Zenfone brothers at 9.9mm thick.

It weighs 200g, which is about the norm for a phone of this size. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 weighs 199g, for example.

The bit of Zenfone series visual flair is the area of shiny concentric circles below the screen. It's just there for the look, as the soft key virtual buttons sit just above this bit.

Asus Zenfone 6 – Screen and Specs

The key way the Zenfone keeps its price down is by using a lower-resolution screen than some of its rivals. Despite being six inches across, the phone has a 720p display, rather than a Full HD one.

Unlike the Zenfone 5, you can tell this deficiency, but it's a relatively minor issue. Texts looks a little bit softer than it would on a 1080p screen. Otherwise the IPS display provides decent image quality for a low-cost phone with good viewing angles and OK colour reproduction.

Like all the Zenfone mobiles, the Zenfone 6 uses an Intel Atom processor. It's the same one used in the Zenfone 5, a 2GHz dual-core Z2580 chip. This is a chip first seen in the Lenovo K900 back in 2013, and rarely used since, but it provides good performance for a phone this cheap. Asus claimed that it outperforms almost every Android phone out there, but such claims should be treated with a pinch of salt as Intel Atom performance versus things like

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Asus Zenfone 5 Hands-on

Asus Zenfone 5 Review: Hands-on at CES 2014

What is the Asus Zenfone 5?

The Asus Zenfone 5 is a low-cost Android phone with a large screen. It may not be all that phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 are, but it certainly seems to get you a lot for your money.

UK prices for the Zenfone 5 haven't yet been announced, but as it's set to sell for $200 without a contract in the US, this should prove to be one of the cheapest ways to get a 5-inch screen phone.

Asus Zenfone 5 – Design

As a relative newcomer to phones, it's not surprising that Asus has kept the design of its new Zenfone mobiles pretty simple. The Zenfone 5 is a plastic phone with a single-piece plastic battery cover that comes in five different colours.

The one piece of Asus visual stamping is the texture of concentric circles that you'll see under the screen. It feels a little light and basic compared with something like the HTC One, but the Zenfone 5 should sell for around half the price of our 2013 phone of the year.

It weighs 144g and is 10.3mm thick. It's light enough, but it's not super slim. But again, superlatives are really not what the Asus Zenfone 5 is all about.

Asus Zenfone 5 – Screen and Specs

The screen too lives in a comfortable middle ground. It's five inches across and the resolution is 720p, where other high-end phones this size use 1080p displays. However, given the phone's expected price we're more than happy to live with 720p.

It's sharp and the IPS panel provides respectable image quality. Colour reproduction wasn't quite spot-on, but the phone may ship with Asus Splendid, an app that lets you fine-tune the colour temperature and saturation to your own tastes. Our demo model wasn't loaded with the final software so we can't be sure though.

The Asus Zenfone 5 is a mobile that has sprung from the strong relationship between Intel and Asus. It uses an Intel Atom processor, the dual-core 2GHz Z2580. It's a very capable processor for a budget phone like this.

Asus boasted during the launch of the phone that it could outperform virtually every mobile processor seen in an Android phone. Our experience has been Intel Atom chips are often a little poorer with tasks in which power matters – mostly gaming – due to relative

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Oculus Rift Crystal Cove prototype unveiled with bizarre OLED display

Oculus has unveiled the latest prototype of its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset at CES 2014, known as “Crystal Cove”.

The prototype next-gen virtual reality headset attempts to improve the virtual reality experience by doing away with motion blur that caused some people to feel very poorly.

Previous iterations of the Oculus Rift used traditional LCD screens, but the Crystal Cove prototype has OLED technology which has lower latency so the images respond more quickly to the user’s movements.

Crystal Cove also has a full positional tracking system that uses a camera to track over 24 IR dots located all over the headset. This means you’ll be able to lean and crouch in game, as the camera will see your head moving in the 3D space. Hopefully, this will help motion sickness too.

There’s a rather special OLED screen in the Oculus Rift Crystal Cove prototype that Oculus is calling a “low-persistance-of-vision display”.

“Low persistence is really, really important. It’s probably the most important thing we’re showing”, said Oculus founder, Palmer Luckey to Polygon. “It doesn’t sound really exciting, but it’s incredible the difference low persistence makes. You really have to see it. It’s mind blowing.”

Basically, it utilises the same concept that lets you watch movies filmed at 24fps. Although the images only flash one at a time, your mind is capable of filling in the blanks to create a semi-seamless motion.

Oculus is intentionally reducing the amount of information your eyes see with the Crystal Cove, so your

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7 Games We Want Announced this year 2014

New year, new games

The future is NOW, and we want it to be as bright as can be. But when it comes to game reveals, this new year will have to work hard to even come close to 2013. Those 365 days saw the unveiling of the PS4 and Xbox One, along with Titanfall, Destiny, Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS, and dozens more massively hyped games. 2014 will need some big titles to match that, and we know just the games that could get our hearts racing.

This week’s top 7 has us dreaming up the releases that we not only want revealed in 2014, but are also the ones that the industry needs right now. But there’s one important ground rule with this list: No Half-Life 3 Episode 3 (and HL3 is even less likely). We’re not wasting valuable list space on a game that we all know will never come out--and no Last Guardian either. Our list is filled with games that at least have a remote possibility of happening, such as...

7. Star Fox Wii U

Why we need it in 2014: Because we deserve an honest-to-goodness reboot of the space fighting fox and friends. Not “Star Fox Becomes King of the Dinosaurs.” Not “Starfox On Foot With A Bazooka.” Not “Star Fox 64 with Different Voice Actors in 3D.” We need Fox, Peppy, Falco, and yes, even Slippy back in our lives, better than we remember them. Star Fox Command kinda had that, but it was burdened with gimmicky touch controls. This is the year to get it right.

Who should make it: Nintendo, clearly. Despite our gripes with previous games, they’ve yet to truly messed up Star Fox--it’s just that Nintendo added things that weren’t the best fit for the series. Strip away all the new and strange mechanics, put the little critters back in their jets, give us Bill and Kat back, and you have yourself a new blockbuster. Of course, we’d also be fine with Nintendo handing this big boy over to Platinum Games. Fans have been rumbling about this potential mash-up for a while, and with the developer’s track record, it might just be the refreshing pair of eyes that this old franchise needs.

6. Next-gen Crash Bandicoot

Why we need it in 2014: Because we know it’s coming. Well, maybe “know” is too strong a word, but hints have

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Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses review

Pros

-Picture can look great

-Sleeker than BT-100

-Cheaper than Google Glass

-Runs full Android OS

Cons

-Awkward to wear, especially over glasses

-Image loses focus easily

-Still expensive

-Decreased resolution

                                                                                              -Big, awkward cord

Epson finally unveiled the successor to its Moverio BT-100 smart glasses at a pre-CES press conference, and understandably it's called the Moverio BT-200.

The new Moverio is sleeker than its predecessor and cheaper than Google Glass (though it's still expensive), and it comes with an Android-powered handheld touchpad input device.

But somewhat contrary to Epson's message up until now, this version of the Moverio is by no means focused solely on enterprise purposes.

That is what the company was showing off in December, but with the new BT-200 comes a swathe of consumer-directed capabilities, from games to a full version of Android.

The obvious changes

There are several important physical improvements in the BT-200.

The new Moverio smart glasses project a transparent 960 x 540 resolution display (yes, it appears the resolution has been decreased from the BT-100) in front of wearers' eyes using two projectors, and are capable of projecting 3D images. Motion sensors detect the movements of your head, and Dolby Digital surround sound pumps noise into your ears.

They also have a front-facing camera with an LED indicator light, though we didn't get to test that out yet. It also has a microSDHC card slot and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support.

The touchpad controller is technically new, although it's more or less exactly what we saw Epson and APX Labs experimenting with late in 2013. They wouldn't confirm then that the touchpad would be the final input solution, but here it is.

Unfortunately that also means you're constantly tethered to a big, awkward cord when you're wearing it, so that's one down side. 

As a result of having a reliable and consistent input source the BT-200 is also confirmed to be running a full version of Android. The versions available to test after Epson's CES press conference ran Android 4.0, and apps could be selected easily using the touch pad to move a cursor.

The BT-200 is also much easier on the eyes, and on the face - though it's still extremely awkward to wear it with glasses.

One thing Epson has done to alleviate that is to create a special nose piece on the BT-200 that can fold down to rest on the

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