The free app - which is an update to the
previous iOS Xbox app - allows Xbox owners to control their consoles with their
iDevice, from navigating through the various tiles to entering download codes on
a virtual keyboard.
As well as offering remote control
functions for the gaming console, Microsoft has launched a SmartGlass SDK for developers to integrate the
second screen into its gameplay.
While the release of the app on Apple's
rival platform is welcome, SmartGlass on iOS is far from receiving universal
acclaim, thanks to the lack of iPhone 5 support.
Still, the arrival of the iOS app marks
the company's platform-agnostic approach to the whole "second screen" gaming
experience, which should give it an advantage over platforms like the Wii U and the Playstation 3.
The iPad mini and new iPad 4 will be getting some 4G love in the UK as EE has confirmed it will
be offering the new iPads on its next-gen network.
The network hasn't yet revealed its
pricing for the 4G iPad deals, but says it'll have a "range" of "attractive"
data plans.
Whether the iPad mini and new iPad 4 plans
will be more "attractive" than the mobile 4G deals unveiled earlier this week
remains to be seen. Update: EE's 24 month tablet plans have now popped up on its website, with the cheapest
offering setting you back £25.99 a month for 2GB of data.
There's another two tariffs to choose
from, with 3GB of data costing £30.99 per month and 5GB coming in at £35.99.
Don't forget there will be an upfront charge for the iPad mini and new iPad 4
(no word on exact cost yet) on top of this, so you may want to call your bank
manager and shuffle your finances.
There was mass disgruntlement when EE
confirmed that its 4G plans would start at £36 per month for only 500MB of
downloads a month, with prices only getting more eye-watering from there on out
and no unlimited downloads deal.
However, there was fear that the new iPads
may not be compatible with the UK's particular brand of next-generation network
(despite being shown on stage at Apple's press conference); EE's release at
least confirms that they will.
Apple has sent out an invite for an event taking place today on October 23 and as we reported earlier,
the event will also be live streamed on Apple TV. The invite states "we've got a little more to show
you" - which we're assuming refers to the iPad mini.
We'll be at the event, covering all the announcements live when it kicks off
at 10:00 PST / 18:00 GMT on our iPad mini launch live blog, and we'll be posting links and summaries of all the key
stories below.
In the meantime, why not read on for the rumours we've reported on leading up
to today's event?
The new iPad has been and gone, sporting a chunkier and heavier build than the iPad 2, which left some
wondering: what's with all the extra weight?
However, it looks like Apple may be about to aid those conscious of extra
grams in their bags, as rumours hot up about a potential iPad Mini (or iPad
nano, if you prefer) as the Amazon Kindle Fire, Google
Nexus 7 and Nook HD steal the budget tablet show.
TechRadar's video team has pulled together all the rumours below and created
a 3D render of what the iPad Mini could look like.
Back in 2010, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that smaller screened tablets
were not "sufficient to create great tablet apps" and would be "dead on
arrival", so the suggestion that a new iPad mini is in the works reveals a
potentially new direction for the firm in its post-Jobs era.
There's certainly a lot of chat surrounding the iPad Nano, so we've scooped
it all up, mushed it all together and expelled it into a handy round up,
allowing you to keep track of every twist and turn.
If you're pressed for time then check out our iPad Mini rumour roundup video
below.
According to analyst Ben A. Reitzes, the iPad Mini would not be a threat to Apple's
current domination with the new iPad, and
is likely to be a favourite among gamers as well as educational institutes,
particularly with the electronic textbooks introduced earlier this year.
And if you were ever wondering, will Apple really go with the iPad Mini name,
an "Asian source" quoted
by a Japanese site seems confident that yes, it really will be called the
iPad Mini. Wow.
Of course there's always the chance it won't be, with iPad Nano another
naming contender for Apple's smaller slate.
Apple is preparing to launch a smaller screen iPad in late 2012 as a response to competition from products produced by Amazon and Samsung, a report has claimed.
DigiTimes quoted "sources in the supply chain" as claiming that the US firm is working on a 7.85-inch screen iPad for release "prior" to the fourth quarter of next year.
The website said that the 'mini' tablet would be launched in addition to the rumoured full-size iPad 3, which is expected to be announced at the end of first quarter.
Research has suggested that global shipments of tablet computers will reach 60m units in 2011, of which Apple holds a dominant 70% share.
However, the firm is facing increasing competition from Samsung's range of Galaxy tablets, covering models featuring seven-inch to 10.1-inch screens, but also Amazon's already popular Kindle Fire, a seven-inch screen tablet available for just $199 (£127).
DigiTimes's sources have indicated that Apple is to release its next-generation of iPads in the first quarter of 2012 to maintain its position as the market leader.
The website said that Apple has already purchased 7.85-inch touchscreens from LG Display for the 'mini' iPad, and it will soon buy further panels from AU Optronics (AUO).
Its sources claimed that the Cupertino-based firm will most like start production on the smaller tablet at the end of the second quarter of 2012.
