Hasta La Gadget!

It’s now just about half a day since the follow-up to one of the most popular free games in the history of mobile devices has been released, and Temple Run 2 is already at the very top of the charts in the iTunes App Store. While it’s not quite there yet in the Top Grossing category, it’s right in at first place in the list of free apps on the market right this minute. That’s beating out Google Maps, Ruzzle, and Angry Birds RIO (newly free as of today).

This game takes on the greatest bits of the original Temple Run for mobile and increases its vitality with a whole new adventure with the same never-ending escape flavor. You’ve got the choice of several different characters with which you’ll be able to run, a variety of power-ups and bonuses you can earn or purchase with real cash, and of course a whole new set of levels to run through. The “monkey” that chases you here is more of an ape, crushing the little beasts from the original game with one foul swoop.

You’ll be utilizing left and right swipes across your screen to turn, up and down to jump or duck (and slide), and a bit of the ol’ tilting of your entire device to make sure you’re on the right side of the path (or lack thereof). The graphics on this game are noticeably more complex, everything is just a bit more beautiful, and it’s all ready for whatever iOS device you’ve got on hand, too, optimized for each screen and everything.

There’s an iPhone version (made for your iPod touch as well) and an iPad version, separate downloads, so make sure you get the right one when you hit the market. The only difference is the optimization for screen size – some ever-so-slight re-adjustments for user interface based on your display’s physical proportions. This app is free to play with a collection of in-game purchases you can choose to make or completely disregard – it’s up to you!

Make sure you hit the official Imangi Studios LLC link here to assure yourself you’re getting the right game in the end. The popularity of Temple Run (and now it’s second iteration) are plagued with their own popularity, with fakers coming in from all sides to send up false versions of their app to trick you and yours – stay safe!

ALSO NOTE: The Android version of this app will be released next week – Imangi studios has confirmed this with SlashGear and we must assume it to be true!

Temple Run 2 reaches #1 in less than 12 hours is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Until I actually played a bit with an iPad Mini, I could see no reason why anyone would want to own an iPad and an iPad Mini at the same time. Though once I saw one up close, I like the small form factor, and lightweight, especially when you compare it side-by-side, to the iPad.

While the iPad Mini has been available for a few weeks in China, the cellular models haven’t yet hit the market. Apple has revealed they will release the cellular models starting this Friday, as well as the fourth-generation iPad.

As much as I love the design of the lightweight Mini, one thing that’s I’d like to see changed ASAP is the screen. In order for me to buy an iPad Mini, it needs to have a Retina screen. I won’t buy a mobile device from Apple without one, having had these on both my phone and my tablet already, I’m now spoiled for the image fidelity.

[via Apple]

If you happen to live in China and have long been hankering for the Apple Store in that part of the world (or via Apple’s online store in the same region) to bring you the cellular capable models of the iPad mini as well as the fourth generation iPad, then you are in for a treat. From this Friday onwards, of course, as Apple has officially issued a press release touting that cellular-enabled models of the aforementioned devices will be arriving later this Friday.

This could not come at a better time, especially after folks living in China have managed to gain official versions of the iPhone 5 in that part of the world without having to rely on some sort of grey market imports. You know what they say, good things come to those who wait, so if you felt that you have already done your fair share of waiting all this while, here are a couple of “good things” (although that largely depends on which point of view you adopt) lined up for you this coming Friday. Imagine sipping on a cuppa of your favorite hot beverage while browsing through the iPad mini this weekend without having to rely on a Wi-Fi connection. Mmmm… [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Facebook Messenger For iPad Could Be Announced Tomorrow, iPad Mini Installed In VW Jetta As An Entertainment System,

Apple’s iPad mini could get itself a huge new ride, if Volkswagen green-lights production on the six-seater CrossBlue SUV concept shown off at the North American International Auto Show today. Coupling ample interior space with surprising efficiency given the bulk, thanks to a diesel-electric hybrid engine capable of 35mpg combined – or 89mpge in all-electric mode, albeit with a maximum range of just 14 miles – the CrossBlue looks to Apple’s tinier tablet for its rear passengers, with dual docks for a pair of the iPads in the back of the front-row headrests.

They’re piped through the Fender audio system, as is the front-passenger entertainment kit. That centers on a 10.2-inch touchscreen with 3D navigation, while touch-sensitive keys control HVAC. Volkswagen even changes the color-scheme of its dashboard lighting depending on whether you’re in Eco or Sport mode, the illumination switching between blue and red accordingly.

It’s what’s under the hood that’s likely most important, however, for Volkswagen’s mid-sized SUV plans in North America. A combination of the new Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) front and rear suspension, and the 190HP TDI Clean Diesel engine, paired with the twin electric motors pushing out 133 lb-ft at the front and 199 lb-ft at the rear, and a Li-Ion battery hidden in the center tunnel, the company says there’s a good chance they’ll show up in future SUVs.

Unsurprisingly, there are compromises to be made in full-electric mode. As well as the paucity of range, Volkswagen limits the CrossBlue’s top speed to 75mph (from 127mph when the diesel engine is active), and you only get rear-wheel drive. Should the power run out, the diesel engine kicks in automatically. On the flip-side, it’s possible to run the CrossBlue solely on the TDI engine, or in an Offroad setting Volkwagen calls “propshaft by wire” where, with the front wheels driven by the diesel plant, the front electric motor is repurposed as a generator to power the rear motor, allowing for all-wheel drive even if the batteries are depleted.

If it makes it to showrooms, Volkswagen says the production CrossBlue would likely have a trio of seats in the middle row, making for seven altogether. The eye-catching 21-inch alloys would probably get smaller, too. No word on when that might happen, nor how much it would be, though the company predicts it would fall in-between the Tiguan (from $23k) and the Touareg (from $43k).

Volkswagen’s CrossBlue SUV is one huge iPad mini dock is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple expects to have its iPad mini with cellular on sale in China by the end of January, CEO Tim Cook has revealed during his trip to the country this week. The launch news – which follows the release of the WiFi-only iPad mini in China back in early December – was confirmed by Cook in an interview with Tencent, though its LTE connectivity may not be of particular use.

That’s down to incompatibility between the iPad mini cellular’s 4G modem and the LTE networks in operation in China, an issue that has affected usability elsewhere in the world since the 7.9-inch tablet’s release. Still, the 3G will be supported, making for easier connectivity on the move.

The cellular version is already up for preorder in China, in both black and silver, with pricing beginning at 3,488 Chinese yuan ($560) for the 16GB version. Apple’s online store gives no indication of specific release date, only saying that there’s currently no supply.

Demand for the iPad mini in China had been expected to be high, and according to Cook that strong interest is indeed panning out. The CEO has previously suggested that China is the next big growth market for Apple – not an unusual opinion in the consumer electronics industry today – and is visiting the country to meet with suppliers, regulators, and others to discuss Apple’s further expansion.

[via CNET]

China iPad mini cellular launch by end of January CEO Cook confirms is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.