Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer reveal dated

New Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer details are on their way, as Activision and Sledgehammer Games pencil in a big reveal for August 11.

Showing off the eagerly awaited first-person shooter’s multiplayer capabilities for the first time, the teaser will be held just days before Gamescom 2014 kicks off in Cologne, Germany.

With Sledgehammer suggesting the Advanced Warfare multiplayer modes will shake up the franchise’s tried and tested systems, the August 11 event will kick off at 6pm BST. It is believed the announcement will be broadcast over Xbox Live and on Xbox.com.

The first CoD title to come following the series’ move to a three year product cycle, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set in the year 2054 and will see soldiers equipped with everything from hover bikes and directed energy weapons to exoskeletons and smart shields.

“Our multiplayer has what I'm going to call the biggest set of new cool gear that you've seen in a long time,” Sledgehammer co-founder Michael Condrey stated.

A Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare release date has been set for November 4. The game will touch down on Xbox One, PS4, PC and past consoles.

Read More: Best Games 2014

Via: CVG

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HTC One M8 Windows Phone pictures leak

Images of the claimed HTC One M8 for Windows have leaked, with the premium metal handset shown running Microsoft’s mobile OS.

With reports earlier this week claiming that the HTC One M8 would be given a Windows Phone themed makeover following the software’s update to Windows Phone 8.1, pictures of the handset have now appeared.

Surfacing courtesy of PCMag sources, the HTC One M8 for Windows handset was spotted on a Verizon holding page, suggesting that it could hit the American network in the near future.

Although HTC has yet to offer any formal indication that the HTC One M8 will be given a Windows refresh, the Taiwanese manufacturer has confirmed it will hold a mystery launch event in New York on August 19.

Unconfirmed reports have claimed this unveiling will be followed by a HTC One M8 for Windows release date on August 21.

Aside from its switch from Android to Windows, the new HTC One M8 for Windows will reportedly host the same premium array of specs, including a Snapdragon 801 processor, BoomSound speakers and a 4-ultrapixel rear-mounted camera.

It is currently unclear when or indeed if the HTC One M8 for Windows will hit the UK.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S5 review

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Apple welcomes Beats to the family as sale completes

Apple has welcomed Beats to the family as the $3 billion purchase completes for the headphone company and streaming service.

Beats is now officially part of Apple, both companies have confirmed. Apple added a welcome page to the front of its own website, while Beats did a similar thing to its own.

“Today we are excited to officially welcome Beats Music and Beats Electronics to the Apple family. Music has always held a special place in our hearts, and we’re thrilled to join forces with a group of people who love it as much as we do,” reads the Apple statement.

“Beats cofounders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre have created beautiful products that have helped millions of people deepen their connection to music. We’re delighted to be working with the team to elevate that experience even further. And we can’t wait to hear what’s next.”

The sale has completed a month earlier than expected, meaning the US government didn’t have any qualms about the acquisition. The European Commission had already approved the Apple's deal to buy the Beats Solo 2 makers earlier this month.

“There’s a new instrument in the Apple family”, came the statement on the Beats website.

The statement goes on to highlight Apple’s successes, right from the Macintosh computer being the “instrument of choice” in the early revolution of digital music, through to the iPod putting a “library of the world’s music in your pocket”.

The iPhone and the iPad are mentioned too, with both seen as an enabler for musicians in the connected world.

“Starting today, we at Beats are fortunate to add our instrument to this legacy by joining Apple.”

Following a number of leaks, the news of the Apple acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music was made official in May.

Apple paid $2.6 million ($1.55 bn) up front for the audio company and its associated music streaming service, with the remaining $400 million (£239m) to be invested into Beats over time.

Read more: Best headphones 2014

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Manhattan Plaza HD-T2 Review

What is the Manhattan Plaza HD-T2?

The HD-T2 is a Freeview HD receiver that not only delivers standard- and high-definition TV channels but also lets you access BBC iPlayer, YouTube and VuTV, the new internet-delivered pay TV service.

It’s an improved Freeview version of the HD-S2 Freesat receiver we reviewed last year, and looks to offer the same impressive functionality, performance and value as its stable mate.

SEE ALSO: Our pick of the Best TVs

Manhattan Plaza HD-T2 – Design & Connections

The HD-T2’s compact dimensions make it easy to accommodate, but its run-of-the-mill design will hardly set your living room alight. It’s a simple black box with glossy casing and a basic front panel that consists of three buttons (standby, up, down) and a single LED. Overall it looks and feels a bit cheap but considering it costs just shy of £50 that’s hardly surprising.

On the rear panel are HDMI, Scart, composite, analogue stereo and coaxial digital outputs, which is a generous line-up for such an affordable box and means it can be used with older, non-HD TVs. They’re joined by RF in/loop, an Ethernet port to access the online functions and a USB port for making offline software updates, not for media playback.

Manhattan Plaza HD-T2 – Features

Online functionality is the HD-T2’s key feature. There are built-in apps for BBC iPlayer, News and Sport, YouTube and VuTV. This new box features the full HD HTML versions of BBC iPlayer, Sport and News – the HD-S2 only had the old SD MHEG version of iPlayer. However, there's no 4oD, iTV player or Demand5.

SEE ALSO: Our pick of the Best Blu-ray Players

It’s one of the first Freeview receivers in the UK to implement the latest version of YouTube, which can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet. The beauty is that you don’t have to pair your phone or even open the YouTube app on the receiver – just press the TV icon in the YouTube smartphone app, select the Manhattan from the list of devices and it will start playing on your TV, assuming your phone and TV are on the same network.

The HD-T2 is also compatible with VuTV, which currently offers the following channels: Lifetime, Comedy Central, MTV, CNN, History, H2, Crime and Investigation Network, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito. You get one-month’s free access when you buy the HD-T2, but it costs £6.99 per month after that. It’s accessed via the VuTV icon on the EPG or switching to Freeview channel 238.

Away from online functionality, the HD-T2 delivers the full gamut of Freeview TV and radio channels, including high-definition channels like BBC One and Two HD, Channel 4 HD, ITV HD, BBC Three HD and CBBC HD.

There’s also an eight-day EPG and support for interactive content and digital text. One nifty feature is the ability to create up to five favourite lists, cutting out all the channels you don’t watch. But the best part is that your lists are displayed on the first page of the EPG alongside the default channel lists.

Manhattan Plaza HD-T2 – Operation

A series of installation screens are displayed when you first fire up the box. These let you set the aspect ratio, HDMI output resolution (from 576i up to 1080p), channel tuning and parental PIN.

Onscreen presentation is simple but attractive, using sharp white text and colourful icons over a black background. The setup menu is clearly laid out and logically sequenced. Categories are arranged in a row along the top of the screen, with corresponding options appearing in the space below.

Among the options are HDMI resolution and lip sync delay settings, plus the ability to enable RF loopthrough in standby, which is switched off by default to comply with EuP power consumption requirements.

The EPG is thoughtfully designed. Hit the Guide button once and it displays a choice of channel lists – All, HD, Radio and any Favourite lists you’ve set up.

Select one and the programme grid displays eight channels at a time over a two-hour period. There’s a shortened synopsis of the selected programme at the top and colour-coded shortcuts at the bottom, but no live TV screen to keep an eye on programmes as you browse. You can skip back or forward by two or 24 hours, set reminders or view the full synopsis by hitting ‘i’. The now/next onscreen banners are similarly clear and informative.

Sadly it’s not all plain sailing. The cursor is remarkably sluggish when moving around menus or the EPG, taking at least a second to respond after pressing the button. That makes for a frustrating user experience and feels laborious when creating Favourite lists.

We’re not too keen on the remote either. It’s light and plasticky, and many of the buttons are too small – particularly the important Back, Menu and Guide keys. However, the rest is fine, with a well-placed direction pad and clearly-marked programme change keys. There’s even a dedicated YouTube button to save you going through the EPG.

Manhattan Plaza HD-T2 – Performance

We encountered no problems when using the online apps. VuTV offers a decent range of channels (particularly if you have kids) and works smoothly. The menu presentation is clear and crisp, with onscreen banners displaying the relevant channel logo alongside ‘now and next’ programme info. You have to hit the yellow key for the programme synopsis and green for the VuTV EPG.

One minor irritation is that you have to remember to press the up/down keys to change VuTV channels – if you press the usual P /- keys it changes to the adjacent Freeview channel.

Similarly all the BBC apps loaded without hesitation and streamed content without any glitches. Picture quality is excellent too, boosted by the ability to watch in HD. YouTube is a joy to use and looks terrific, using large thumbnails for each video with genre-based short cuts on the left and a handy search tool. Weirdly, the online apps operate a lot faster than the box’s own software.

As for picture quality, the HD-T2 displays high-definition channels with aplomb. Images boast dazzling clarity and depth, drawing objects with forceful edges and razor-sharp detail. With the BBC’s Commonwealth Games athletics coverage, for example, you can easily make out the sandy textures in the long jump pit and beads of sweat on the athletes’ faces.

Colours also look rich and realistic, from the lush green grass in the middle of the track to the vibrant yellow and green of the Jamaican team’s outfits. There’s lots of fast movement, but the HD-T2 tracks it smoothly without any obvious pixel break-up.

Standard-definition channels like Sky News and ITV2 look comparatively soft and gauzy, with paler colours and more obvious mosquito noise, but detail, colour saturation and motion tracking are good enough to keep them from being unwatchable. VuTV picture quality isn’t great either, suffering the haze and smearing common to streamed SD video, but again it’s watchable.

Should I buy the Manhattan Plaza HD-T2?

The HD-T2 has its flaws, but there are enough positives to make £50 feel like money well spent. For starters, the inclusion of online apps and support for VuTV is a real bonus for the money – all of which operated without any problems during our test – making it a terrific option if you want to bring smart functionality into a second room.

What’s more, the onscreen menus look great, picture quality is impressive and there’s a generous array of sockets that caters for both HD and non-HD TVs.

However, we have reservations over the unit’s sluggish behaviour, which makes onscreen navigation a chore at times, plus the plasticky remote and lightweight bodywork are a little disappointing.

Verdict

Manhattan’s affordable Freeview receiver boasts some nifty internet apps and superb hi-def pictures, but sluggish operation and a ropey remote deny it our highest recommendation.

Next, find out which TV or Surround Sound System to choose to go with your DVR.

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Xbox One GamesCom 2014 press conference dated

Microsoft has revealed the date and time for its Xbox One GamesCom 2014 press conference with a teaser trailer.

On Tuesday August 12 in Cologne, Microsoft will hold a special GamesCom 2014 press conference, detailing the latest on its upcoming titles.

The show will kick off at 2pm CEST (1pm BST) and will contain a number of new trailers and potentially some big new announcements too.

“On Tuesday 12 we bring you the GamesCom 2014 Xbox briefing, live as it happens. So you’ll be there to see and hear all the news.”

We already know that Remedy will demonstrate the first Quantum Break gameplay footage, hopefully revealing how the live action and third-person gameplay will intertwine.

"I'm very excited to tell you that we'll be presenting Quantum Break's time amplified action gameplay for the first time ever at Gamescom”, said Remedy creative direction Sam Lake back in May.

Plus, Microsoft also confirmed that the first footage of the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer will be its to show.

“Tune in on August 11 to see Sledgehammer Games present the exclusive live reveal of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer,” said Xbox Live’s Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson.

You can tune in via Xbox Live, Xbox.com and Windows Phone. Or you can head to the Xbox One Twitch app, where all the GamesCom footage will be streamed live.

Other exciting gaming stuff confirmed for GamesCom includes the first Dead Island 2 playable gameplay and some brand new Metal Gear Solid 5 news.

TrustedReviews will be on the floor at GamesCom to bring you all the latest on all the big name games, so stay tuned.



Read more: Xbox One vs PS4

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 again pegged for September 3 unveiling

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be formally unveiled on Wednesday September 3, latest reports have suggested.

Citing unnamed “executives at Samsung’s top-tier local parts suppliers”, The Korea Times has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be shown off for the first time in the days leading up to IFA 2014.

"Samsung will hold an event to announce the Note 4 on Sept. 3, just few days before this year's IFA trade fair in Berlin, Germany ― Europe's biggest technology exhibition," the anonymous executive is quoted as saying.

With invites to the media unveiling expected to go out ‘soon’, it appears likely that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will enter the realms of reality on the same day as the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone.

Not the first time the Note 4 has been tipped for a September 3 showing off, the latest reports back up claimed earlier in the year that the fourth-generation phablet would be announced one day earlier than last year’s Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

According to recent leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will retain the Note 3’s 5.7-inch form factor while adopting an LG G3 rivalling 2560 x 1440p QHD display.

Further components expected to feature on the Galaxy Note 4 specs sheet include a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM and a Samsung Galaxy S5 matching 16-megapixel rear-mounted camera.

Following a September 3 unveiling, it has been claimed that the Note 3 will be rushed out to retailers the same month as Samsung looks to avoid hitting shelves within days of the expected iPhone 6.

TrustedReviews will be reporting from the show floor during IFA 2014, so stay tuned for all the latest.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 6 release date

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HP to launch luxury smartwatch later this year

HP has confirmed that it will launch a luxury smartwatch later this year, in partnership with retailer Gilt and designer Michael Bastian.

There’s been a recent explosion of smartwatches on the market of late, particularly of the Android Wear variety – think LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live.

Now HP has revealed it is stepping into the area, partnering with Gilt and US designer Michael Bastian for a rather more luxury affair.

This Android and iOS compatible (yes, you read that right) smartwatch will feature a circular 44mm face with a steel design.

It’ll apparently come with swappable wrist bands – black rubber, brown leather, olive green nylon and a limited edition black version.

The overall design by Bastian is supposed to imitate the interior of a luxury car, namely the dashboard.

HP is handling all the internal technology, although it is not clear what operating system it will run on as yet. It will let you receive smartphone notifications, offer music controls and other updates.

It will have inlaid button controls and can be synched with your phone via a special app. This will apparently let you tweak the user interface and customise the modes and features offered on the HP smartwatch.

Apparently this currently unnamed smartwatch will be rleased in the autumn, with pricing details yet to be announced.

Until then, you can sign up for notifications on this rather exciting smartwatch via the Gilt website.

Read more: What is Android Wear? A guide to Google’s smartwatch OS

Via: Fashionista

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Bioware releases second teaser for new IP

"Do you know they are watching?"

Bioware has released a second teaser trailer for its upcoming new IP.

Following on from the Nightmare teaser released last week, this trailer is entitled Spark and again tells us very little about the game.

The live action video shows a young man sitting in a restaurant being continually called by a unknown number.

He repeatedly rejects the calls, while drawing a ring-like shape on a paper napkin.

With the final call, he swipes to reject and a spark leaps from his hand to the phone.

As with the previous teaser trailer, a ring of fire flashes up on the screen, this time in blue. His phone is then struck by some kind of lightning attack.

After the young man retreats terrified from the table, the shot pans out to the window of the restaurant where a hooded figure is seen watching the scene unfold.

“Do you know they are watching?” the trailer ends by saying.

As with the last teaser, the YouTube blurb from the video reads:

“Your power is rising.

Cologne, Germany.

You’ve Been Chosen.”

BioWare confirmed it was working on a brand new IP during the E3 2014 EA Games presentation.

This set of trailers is supposedly for a new horror title called Shadow Realms – a game name trademarked back in March by EA.

The game is due to be officially announced during the EA press conference at GamesCom in Cologne on August 13.

Read more: Best games 2014

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Latest FIFA 15 trailer highlights new player agility and control

A new FIFA 15 trailer has been released, with the early look video highlighting the upcoming game’s array of improved player control and agility features.

Looking through the concept of the latest instalment to the much loved FIFA franchise, the latest FIFA 15 trailer looks at how the development team has added new player and ball physics to create a more natural, true-to-life, gaming experience.

“Our priority with gameplay this year was to produce the most responsive FIFA ever,” Nick Channon, a Senior Producer on FIFA 15 said of the game.

“FIFA 15’s agility and control feature brings true personality to the world’s best players and gives you a remarkable level of control as you play the game.”

He added: “We’ve redeveloped play biomechanics so that players react and move with balance, maintaining closer control when in possession of the ball.”

Highlighting a new collection of stutter and stride patterns – to give individual players their own unique style – shoulder barges and even shirt pulling, the trailer shows that FIFA 15 looks set to echo both the good and the bad of the beautiful game.

A FIFA 15 release date has been confirmed for September 26, with the PES 2015 rival to be made available for Xbox One and PS4 gamers. PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of the game will also be released.

Check out the new FIFA 15 trailer below.

Read More: Best Games 2015

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Uros Goodspeed Review

What is the Uros Goodspeed?

The Uros Goodspeed is a portable Mi-Fi router that gives you mobile broadband access abroad in 61 countries without incurring any bank account-destroying roaming charges. It's ddeally suited for regular travellers as you’ll need to buy the Mi-Fi and pay fixed monthly and daily fees with Uros sorting out the necessary international SIM cards for you. It takes the hassle out of getting online when you are out of the country, but it's not cheap and you will need to carry around another piece of kit with you.

Uros Goodspeed: Design

The Goodspeed router is about the size of a 4.5-inch smartphone, weighing in at 127g and at 13mm thick it’s not particularly slim. There’s a glossy black front a single LED light to indicate when the portable router is switched on and a 1-inch 128x 64 pixel LCD display that’s bright enough to view all the important information about the status of the router.

You won’t want to carry it in the same pocket as your smartphone but it slips nicely into another pocket without hogging up a great deal of space. Throwing into a rucksack as we did in our testing is probably the best option and shouldn’t affect the signal strength.

Around the back is a matte black soft touch rubber finish with a single button to turn the Goodspeed on and off. On the left edge you’ll find two toggle buttons to skip through the different screens and a microUSB port, which means you can use a standard microUSB charging cable although a mains adaptor is included with the right plug pin setup depending on where you are travelling to.

Lastly, the front can be pulled away to reveal the room for up to nine SIM cards, making it easy to hook onto different networks in different countries without continuously swapping cards around. The shell can be a bit tricky to prise away from the body but once inside, it’s nice and easy to remove and replace SIM cards. Disappointingly, there's currently no nano and micro SIM card support, although a simple SIM card adaptor can solve that problem.

Uros Goodspeed: Features

Buying and running a Goodspeed can quickly start to add up and that’s why it’s best suited to users who will really make the best use of it. First you'll need to buy the Goodspeed router, which costs £219, and then pay a £9 monthly charge to keep it running and there's more to come. You also need to purchase a SIM for the country you are going to and this can be done through the website costing £4-5 on top of purchasing the Goodspeed portable router.

Uros has three plans to pick from. The Lite package is the cheapest option and doesn’t require a monthly charge. You will have to pay a daily charge of roughly £13 (16.50 Euros), which gets you up to 1GB data a day and a 30-day limit using it in one destination.

The Pro package, which we tried out, costs £8 (9.90 Euros) a month with up to 1GB data a day and no limit on how many of your own SIM cards you can use or how long you use it for in a different country.

At the top end is the Business package. which requires a minimum of five devices to be in use and requires a £12 (14.95 Euros) monthly charge per device. This gives you the same daily data allowance and unlimited use as the Pro package, a well as a centralized place to manage the devices and the ability to view data usage.

There’s also a daily rate to pay depending on which of the 61 countries supported by Uros you are travelling to. We used it in Brazil so had to pay £5 a day for 500MB of data with rates well communicated on the website. You can also use your own data SIM card to use it in the UK as a mobile hotspot which can be shared with up to five devices.

Whichever package you opt for, it's all sounds very expensive but the various charges are clearly communicated and if you're regular traveller then the service is arguably good value for money and more reliable than hit-and-miss hotel Wi-Fi.

Uros Goodspeed: Setup and Performance

Once you have negotiated your way through getting the device, the right package and fitted the SIM cards, the Goodspeed is extremely easy to use. Simply turn it on and after the various multilingual welcome messages scroll across the screen, the Goodspeed will search for a connection. In new countries this can take some time and it took several minutes at times to find a connection. But after using it a couple of times the connection speed quickly improves.

The LCD screen displays information regarding the network it’s connected to, battery status, internet speed and the number of devices connected. Using the toggle buttons on the side of the router will show you device status and the amount of data used. Click it again and you can view the network password to type in on your smartphone, laptop or tablet to get online.

We had a SIM card from VIVO, one of the biggest phone networks in Brazil and even in some more remote areas managed to get connected. Connection speeds and signal strength varied in different parts of the country, but even on the underground we had no problems making a connection with up to three smartphones.

The Goodspeed works with 802.11b/g/n devices and can hit a maximum of 3.5G mobile internet speeds, so there’s no 4G support yet. Uros says you can expect 21.1 Mbps download speeds and 5.76 Mbps upload speeds on really good connections.

We managed a maximum 3.5G coverage and using it for just half an hour browsing the web and going on Twitter or Facebook only ate into 50MB of data. Download and upload speeds were nice and quick and even running it for the entire day didn’t entirely eat into the 500MB allowance.

As for battery life, there’s a 2,550 mAh rechargeable battery that promises 8 hours to get it through the day. Running it continuously connected to two devices from 9-10am in the morning to 11pm at night, it makes it through a day’s use, though you will have to charge it up again to use it daily. It takes around 3 to 4 hours to get back to a full charge, but an hour will give you enough for a few hours usage.

Should I buy the Uros Goodspeed?

The Uros Goodspeed setup definitely comes at a price. If you can stomach the initial cost of the hardware plus the monthly and daily payments, it's still going to appeal to small business or someone who regularly works abroad.

It's not the only service of its kind out there and companies like GlobalGig do offer a similar method to hassle-free data roaming. Where the Goodspeed really excels is how easy it is to use, the growing international coverage and the all day battery life the router offers.

At a time when Three is still the only UK mobile network provider to offer free international roaming albeit to 11 countries, Goodspeed is a really useful way to get online abroad knowing how much you are going to pay before you step foot into another country and turn on your smartphone.

Verdict

If you can afford it, the Uros Goodspeed is easy to use and is perfect for seasoned travellers who want data roaming on the move.

SEE ALSO: Best Routers 2014

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iPhone 6 release date, news, rumours, specs and price

With the iPhone 6 release date now just a matter of months away, the iPhone 6 rumours are coming thick and fast, with latest reports tipping the device to feature new haptic feedback options and a sapphire glass display.

Despite 2013's iPhone 5S remaining one of the most popular handsets on the market, still outselling the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 in the US, attention has already firmly turned to the upcoming iPhone 6 release date and the possibility of an all new Apple smartphone direction.

While numerous reports have suggested the iPhone 6 will feature a refreshed, larger design and screen to better rival its main Android rivals, it has also been suggested that the phone could benefit from a super slim profile similar to the iPod touch.

What's more, having shaken things up last year with the colourful, plastic bodied iPhone 5C, recent iPhone 6 rumours have claimed the next Apple handset could share the limelight with the company's first phablet offering, a handset which would look to rival the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

With a September 19 iPhone 6 release date being widely teased - a launch date which would fit with the 'fall' timeframe handed to the iOS 8 launch - such a release would likely see the phone formally announced around September 9.

However, it has recently been claimed that at least one iPhone 6 model is facing delays due to production issues and will now not launch until early 2015, something which would surely see Apple concede serious market share to its newer Android rivals.

Last Update: 14/07/14: We will continue to update this page leading up to the iPhone 6 launch and the confirmation of the precise iPhone 6 release date.

iPhone 6 Release Date: When will the iPhone 6 go on sale?

Although some had claimed that the iPhone 6 release date would be announced during WWDC 2014, we now know this to be pure nonsense, with last month's conference keynote focussing on iOS 8, OS X Yosemite and a raft of new developer features.

Now, what is looking far more likely is that the iPhone 6 release date will be held in either late September or the opening days of October - a launch which will follow an unveiling less than two weeks earlier.

With the iPhone 4S having marked the company’s first move to a late summer unveiling, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S have all made their first appearances around the same time of year.

Adding further backing to an autumn release, analysts and claimed insiders have reported that the iPhone 6 will touch down with a new 4.7-inch screen during the very latter period of Q3 - so late September. It has been suggested that the iPhone 6 will land as a busy second half of the year for the Cupertino-based giant, a period which will also see new iPads, MacBooks and the much mooted Apple iWatch land.

Separate reports out of Japan and Taiwan have both suggested that the iPhone 6 will enter full production in July in order to meet launch demands. One thing you can bet on is that the iPhone 6 will not be hit by the same level of stock shortages as the iPhone 5S, a device which faced 6-8 week shipping delays on day one.

Could a second 5.5-inch iPhone launch in 2015?

What might happen however, at least according to one analyst, is that the oft-rumoured 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could be delayed until 2015. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that the larger iPhone 6 could be edged back into 2015 due to construction issues.

“We are conservative about 5.5-inch iPhone launching by end-2014. Even if the product is launched in 2014, it is likely to take place after mid-4Q14, which is later than the September-October of consensus, with shipments being lower than consensus of 15- 20mn units,” Ming-Chi Kuo told investors.

On the potential delay he added: “We think the 5.5-inch model will also have issues with the yield rate of in-cell touch panel and color unevenness of metal casing. Indeed, these problems will likely be even more complicated with a larger size.

"In addition, from a technical perspective, we don’t expect sapphire cover, used for the first time on the 5.5-inch model, will easily pass the drop test near term.”

NEWS ROUND-UP: Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, News, Rumours, Specs and Price

iPhone 6 News: What do we know so far?

While it can be hard to separate the fact from the fiction in the outpouring of the iPhone 6 rumour mill, a number of reports have pointed to the device making the switch to toughened Sapphire glass to protect the phone's display. With Apple long been known to be working with this material, we think this might be closer to the 'fact' end of the spectrum.

The Sapphire screen

With Sapphire glass featuring toughened properties that make it seriously difficult to scratch, it seems like the ideal fit for a smartphone screen.

The Sapphire coated iPhone has even popped up on video (allegedly) coutesy of tech YouTube personality Marques Brownlee.

With Sapphire glass already used in watch faces and even the iPhone 5S's TouchID fingerprint sensor, Brownlee has claimed that the iPhone 6 prototype he got his hands on was “straight off the assembly line iPhone 6 part from Apple” and featured a full Sapphire glass front.

“I couldn’t get the surface to even scratch a little bit at all. The worst blemish on the surface was actually my fingerprint marks and the dust from handling it so much,” Brownlee said of the device.

The iPhone 6 will be even thinner than ever

With iPhone 6 rumours having long focussed on the size of the handset's screen, attention has now turned to the phone's thickness with latest iPhone 6 leaks all pointing to a super slim device skinnier than even the 6.18mm thick Huawei Ascend P6.

While we in the TrustedReviews offices aren't sold on the idea of excessively skinny handsets, alleged iPhone 6 renders reportedly sent to case manufacturers have claimed the iPhone 6 will be just 6mm thick, 1.6mm slimmer than the 5S.

Bringing this remodelled form factor to life, an iPhone 6 mock-up has been created based on the leaked renders, offering a video-based insight into exactly how the next-gen Apple handset might look.

According to separate reports the S5 rival will be not only super slim but the proud host of a curved display and body.

As unlikely as we find it, reports out of Japan have cited "reliable information" in claiming that a curved display with rounded edges is on the cards.

We do, however, believe the claims of a super slim form could come to fruition as the skinny iPhone leaks continue to flow. Joining the renders and schematics, a claimed iPhone 6 case has leaked online, again suggesting the next-gen handset will be considerably thinner than its predecessor. The teased peripheral itself is slimmer than an iPhone 5S meaning the 6 will be heavily cut down in size. What's more, it has shown off the much mooted increase in screen size.

A 4.7-inch screen is likely and possibly more than one option

Another of the most common iPhone 6 rumours to do the rounds in recent weeks is that the handset will feature a larger screen than past Apple handsets. With the likes of the LG G2 having already pushed flagship Android phone displays to 5.2-inches, Apple is likely to make another jump in size, having moved from 3.5-inches to 4-inches with the iPhone 5. At present, it is believed the iPhone 6 will host a 4.7-inch display, similar to the original HTC One, with an Apple phablet to follow with a 5.5-inch panel.

“The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.7-inches to as high as 6-inches,” mooted “people familiar with the matter” have been quoted as stating in recent reports.

With dozens of leaks all pointing towards the iPhone 6 featuring a larger screen, notorious Apple tipster Brian White has added that an iPhone 6 screen size “could approach 5-inches.”

Topeka Capital analyst White added: “The next iPhone will offer customers more choice in terms of screen size. The Company has never offered multiple screen sizes for a single model, we believe this is about to change with the next iPhone offering different screen sizes that we believe will allow Apple to better bifurcate the market and expand its reach.”

Seeing a larger iPhone 6 screen all but confirmed, even component suppliers have been getting in on the premature unveiling act, teasing an increase in smartphone size. Speaking with Asian media, an unnamed Foxconn executive reportedly revealed that “Apple has been particularly interested in recent tests for a 4.8-inch screen.”

With latest reports suggesting the iPhone 6 will line up with a 4.7-inch display, it is believed that the handset will still be smaller than many of its leading Android-based competitors, instead lining up similar in size to the Motorola Moto X.

Although it has been suggested that the iPhone 6 will gain its larger display as part of a total redesign, leaked images of the phone's front panel have hinted that Apple will retain a similar aesthetic for its next flagship phone.

Surfacing courtesy of iPhone.fr, the teased image (above) has hinted that Apple will retain iPhone look, simply expanding the screen area on the phone's body.

GUIDE: Five Big-Screen iPhone 6 Problems Apple Needs to Solve

iPhone 6 Rumours: Will the iPhone 6 use Quantum Dots?

Size isn't the only change expected for the iPhone 6's screen. Building on the manufacturer's past Retina offerings, it has been suggested that the iPhone 6 will make use of new, Quantum Dot display technologies.

Quantum Dots improve colour reproductionby emitting the light through a thin film of quantum dots, particles that have properties that improve the range of colours the display can produce.

Despite grabbing headlines, the technology isn't new. Quantum Dot displays have already featured on the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet line.

Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased the company's plans to introduce improved displays to its mobile products, a remit sure to include the iPhone 6.

“We want to give our customers what’s right in all respects – not just the size but in the resolution, in the clarity, in the contrast, in the reliability”, Cook said during an interview earlier this year. “There are many different parameters to measure a display and we care about all [of] those, because we know that’s the window to the software.”

Could the iPhone 6 include improve haptic feedback?

Improved haptic feedback is also rumoured to be on the iPhone 6's incoming features list.

Now don't go getting too excited, this isn't going to be futuristic haptic feedback that lets you feel the texture of a clothing or the prickles of a thorn bush through the glass, more an improved vibration motor which will also allow for more intricate, and potentially more powerful, gaming feedback.

The power button could move

As part of the handset's refresh, a number of small design changes are expected, with those claiming insider knowledge suggesting Apple could relocate the phone's power button for the first time since the original iPhone was introduced.

“Our understanding is that [the] iPhone 6’s power button might be moved from the top to the side,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated. “We think this change is meant to facilitate one-hand operation and might indicate new application that require more frequent use of the power button.”

The iPhone and the iWatch as one

Despite the iPhone 6 being set to be one of Apple's biggest launches of 2014, the next-gen smartphone might have to share the stage. With Apple having repeatedly teased and hinted a wearable gadget potentially being in the works at its Cupertino HQ, it has been suggested that the iPhone 6 release date could be held in conjunction with an Apple iWatch launch.

Tipped to boast a 1.3-inch touchscreen, the Apple iWatch will reportedly feature a curved screen manufactured by LG and launch as a companion to the iPhone 6.

Although iWatch reports have circled for some time, the iPhone 6 rumour that continues to generate the most talking points is the potential move to a larger display. With insiders and component suppliers chattering about a bigger display, analysts have got in on the act too, with Topeka Capital analyst Brian White also pointing at a 4.8-inch form factor.

One iPhone 6 rumour which seems to be stretching the realms of possibility, is collection of iPhone 6 concept images which have shown the phone with a curved, wraparound display. While these images have grabbed the attentions of many, even the concept’s designer has questioned its likelihood.

“Such a design may appear on the iPhone 6 or 7, or maybe never,” designer Nikolay Lamm said. “It’s a cool design, but one which is unlikely to give Apple a sustainable competitive advantage.”

GUIDE: Quantum Dots Explained: What they are and why they're awesome

iPhone 6 Specs: What features will be included?

The iPhone 6 specs sheet is set to have a few surprises in store following the incremental updates from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 5S.

With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor having made an appearance aboard the iPhone 5S, it is expected that the biometric security measure will become something of a standard on flagship models, and make another stop within the iPhone 6’s home button. On this front, with the Samsung Galaxy S5's own fingerprint sensor being made compatible with Paypal payments, you can guarantee Apple will be working on further partnerships and tie ins of its own.

Further iPhone 6 specs will likely see the increased screen and completely overhauled design partnered with an even speedier 64-bit processor and revised camera. Although the recently confirmed Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 chipsets are to power the next wave of Android powerhouses, Apple is likely to continue to shun the leading mobile CPU provider in favour of its own chipsets.

Although the iPhone 6 camera looks set to retain the same 8-megapixel sensor as its predecessor, recent reports have suggested that integrated snapper will be improved by a move to improved glass optics to boost image quality and clarity.

Further and more precise iPhone 6 specs are still unclear.

What is clear, however, is that the iPhone 6 will become one of, if not the, first device to run iOS 8 direct from the box. An evolution more than a revolution of its mobile operating system, iOS 8 is set to have a strong, fitness based focus. Leading this new direction will be the HealthKit hub, an aggregator of a variety of dedicated fitness and wellbeing applications and services that can be tied in to a selection of third party peripherals.

Further features set to be introduced to the iPhone 6 through iOS 8 include HomeKit, new Messages feautres, the iCloud Drive storage service, a new QuickType keyboard and Notification bar widgets.

As has become customary, the iPhone 6 is expected to be made available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage forms, although a new 128GB handset is also believed to be on the cards.


NEWS ROUND-UP: iOS 8 Release Date, Features, Apps, News, Rumours

iPhone 6 Price: How much will it cost?

Although Apple isn’t short of a few bob, the iPhone 6 price, like that of its predecessor is sure to hit you where it hurts, the wallet.

The iPhone 5S price was increased over its predecessor, and with the iPhone 6 expected to get a bump in screen size and an all new design, you can expect and even lofty rise in costs next time around. We will bring you further details on the iPhone 6 price as and when we get them.

Read More: iPad mini 2 rumours

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CES 2015 - What to expect

Everything you need to know about CES 2015

The 2015 Consumer Electronics Show doesn't kick off until January 6, but our thoughts are already straying to the biggest tech gathering of the year.

Over the space of four days (January 6 - 9), many of the world's biggest tech companies will descend on Las Vegas to reveal what's in store for the coming year. Preceding the show, January 5 will likely act as a press day, with the likes of Samsung, Sony, LG and co all holding dedicated conferences to make major announcements.

Historically a show for the TV industry to show off its coming wares, CES has expanded to be so much more. It's still too early to say exactly what products will be hitting the show floor come January, but here are some of the tech trends to look out for during CES 2015.

Smart TVs with Android TV

At Google I/O back in June, it was revealed that the next version of the Android OS had been designed to scale to the Smart TV form factor.

Android TV offers the tantalising promise (admittedly not the first time) of an intuitive and widely adopted Smart TV UI standard, rather than the largely rubbish individual manufacturer efforts we've been putting up with for too long now.

Google's new solution will allow you to initiate media content searches using your phone, using both text input and voice recognition. You'll also have access to a whole heap of apps and games, through it'll ship with its own app store rather than simply having access to the Google Play Store.

Google also announced at the time that it had reached agreements with Sony, Sharp, and Philips to include Android TV in their 2015 HDTV ranges. As such, we're expecting to see a whole bunch of top end TV sets running on Android TV at CES 2015.

Don't expect Samsung and LG to join the Android TV party just yet though. Both Korean manufacturers are keen to push their own platforms. With Samsung known to be looking to reduce its reliance on Google, LG last year introduced its new webOS TV platform, the undoubted leader of the current group.

More, and cheaper, 4K TVs

This year's CES brought a lot of 4K or UHD TV sets, sporting four times the pixel density of your bog standard 1080p Full HD telly.

With IFA 2014 expected to follow suit next month, we're not expecting anything radically new on this front - as we noted above, the big advances should be in UI and smart features rather than core tech.

What we can expect to see, however, is more practically priced 4K TV sets as manufacturers look to bring the new resolution standard within range of your average punter. To that end, we're expecting more 40- and 50-inch efforts this time around.

One trend that doesn't look likely to go away just yet is curved TVs. Both Samsung and LG still appear fixated with these bent screens, so there'll probably be more on show in 2015.

Following January's Michael Bay blunder, hopefully Samsung will push another inexplicably successful film director out to humiliate themselves whilst pushing a 105-inch 4K TV no one can afford. Our money's on Zack Snyder.

New tablets to rival the iPad

Speaking of Samsung, this year's CES saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Pro range. This added the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro lines to an already dizzying array of sameish Android tabs from the manufacturer.

Given Samsung's slightly predictable cycles, we're offering low odds on another batch of Pros coming in 2015. We're not sure our keyboards could cope with a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 2 12.2, but who knows?

Of course, with the slinky Samsung Galaxy Tab S now on the market you might argue that there's no purpose for a new set of Pros. But then that's never stopped Samsung before.

It's not just Samsung you need to watch out for on the tablet space either. Chinese manufacturer Huawei is alway keen to throw a new affordable take on a consumer hit into the mix, with Sony, ZTE and a host of others all likely to push new tablet offerings.

Steam Machines, finally

One of the biggest disappointments of recent months was Valve's decision to delay its Steam Machine program until 2015, owing to issues with the design of the Steam Controller.

Stepping back a few months, CES 2014 had seen a big Steam Machine splurge, with a number of hardware partnerships highlighted and some preliminary Steam Machine designs outlined.

After this year's false start, there's a chance that the very same venue could be used to showcase Valve's finalised Steam Machine vision this coming January.

We can but hope.

Wearables, and plenty of them

It's a pretty safe bet when discussing any of the big shows set to take place over the next 12 months to simply say: "wearables."

Yes, it's still a hot topic for tech companies, even if it hasn't yet taken off with the general public. But while previous shows have had wearable devices that haven't particularly wowed anyone, CES 2015 should be different.

For one thing, it will be the first CES show following Google's unveiling of Android Wear, as well as the first smartwatches built to run it. In six months time, we're expecting more manufacturers to have joined in.

Also consider the fact that Apple will probably have launched its iWatch a few months prior to CES 2015. There's a general feeling that this will be the point at which the smartwatch market truly kicks off - whether due to Apple coming up with something amazing, or simply due to the fact that all the major players will have played their hand, allowing informed choices to be made by consumers and manufacturers alike.

This is also an area where we actually have confirmation of one manufacturer's plans. Lenovo has confirmed that it will be showing off some new wearables at CES 2015 - and it has nothing to do with Motorola (which it now owns) and its stunning Moto 360.

3D printing steps to the fore

3D printing will be big at CES 2015. The organisers are reportedly doubling the floor space for this intriguing field at next year's show.

Apparently, more than 30 companies will be present with their latest advances. And if you think this technology is still at the experimental stage, well, think again.

Reports suggest that sales of desktop 3D printers will have hit 67,000 by the end of 2014. True, that's a pretty small number compared to the number of ink jets out there, but it's enough to tell you that things are moving rapidly in the field.

Bookmark this page for all the latest breaking and developing news of what to expect from CES 2015.

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EE Kite available now for 4G mobile Wi-Fi

EE has released the EE Kite, a 4G Wi-Fi dongle to keep you connected on your travels.

The EE Kite is available across all the EE retail channels, whether you’re heading to an EE store or the online alternative.

The Kite is EE’s premium designed 4G Wi-Fi device, which runs on the 4GEE network to offer fast broadband even when you’re on the move.

EE claims the Kite is lightweight and has been specifically designed to fit in your pocket.

It is available on a range of 4G EE plans. It is free on a 24-month 4GEE or 4GEE Extra plan of £15 a month or more.

On a 4GEE plan £15 a month will get you 3GB of 4G data, or 4GEE Extra will get you 15GB of data for £20 per month.

Either that or you can go for the PAYG option, where you’ll need to buy the Kite outright for £69.99.

Of course, if you’ve got a EE Shared Plan already, you could always just add it to that.

EE already has a selection of 4G Wi-Fi dongles to select from, but the Kite is aimed at the those looking for something a bit more premium.

There’s also the EE Osprey, a more rugged option with a bit more colour to it. That is £19.99 on a 10 a month contract, or free on anything £15 a month or more.

You might be sensing the bird theme here, which was started by the own brand EE Kestrel smartphone released earlier this year.

Read more: Best routers 2014

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Now TV box adds YouTube support

The extremely affordable Now TV box has been updated to add YouTube support, bringing hours of hilarious cat videos to the biggest screen in your house.

Taking the device away from its subscription-free Sky content roots and turning it into a more generalised digital entertainment system, YouTube can now be downloaded to the Now TV box through the Roku Channel Store.

Not the first step the Now TV box has taken away from Sky’s own services, the connected box already offers users access to catch-up services from a raft of broadcasters, including BBC iPlayer, 4oD, Demand 5 and ITV Player.

“The Now TV Box offers a huge range of entertainment options to be enjoyed on your own big screen. The addition of YouTube means there’s even more to discover and experience,” Gidon Katz, Director of NOW TV said.

“With the flexibility to dip in and out of great movies, entertainment or sport with the relevant pass from NOW TV, catch-up TV and now videos from your favourite YouTube channels, it’ll be hard to find an excuse to leave the sofa.”

Setting wannabe owners back a penny shy of £10, the Now TV box is arguable the most affordable way of turning your traditional television into an internet-connected Smart TV.

As well as acting as a catch-up service enabler, the Now TV box acts as a way for broadcasting giant Sky to pump its monthly movie passes and daily Sky Sports passes to consumers.

Read More: Google Chromecast review

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Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 pinches Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display

The forthcoming second generation Oculus Rift development kit has been torn down, revealing a complete Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display hidden within.

Popular teardown website iFixit managed to get its hands on an Oculus Rift DK2 (a feat in itself), and proceeded to do what it does best - systematically strip it.

When taking out the display module, it noted that "the display has a rubber case housed in a plastic backing," which instantly aroused suspicions.

Sure enough, a little peeling revealed "literally the front panel of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3." That includes the Samsung logo, home button and front camera cut-outs - even the touchscreen controller is intact.

Funnily enough, Samsung itself has a cheap alternative to the Oculus Rift VR headset in the works. It involves slotting in a Samsung smartphone to form the display.

Little did we know that this was also literally the case with the biggest name in virtual reality right now.

Of course, if you're going to cobble together a vibrant and immersive virtual reality headset, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3's display makes for one of the better component choices.

At 5.7-inches and a 1080p resolution, it's both large and sharp. Also, thanks to Super AMOLED technology, its colours pop way more than LCD alternatives, while blacks are rendered nice and inky.

One modification that the report points out is that the display has been over clocked to run at a higher 75Hz refresh rate (the original runs at 60Hz), allowing for more fluid motion.

Of course, the final Oculus Rift model will probably ship with its own custom display panel. In the meantime, this is a quick, easy, and cheap way to provide a decent model for developers to work on.



Next, read our Oculus Rift vs Project Morpheus comparison

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Apple starts using own content delivery network

Apple has reportedly set up its own content delivery network, which should boost the download speed and reliability of its forthcoming software updates.

While Apple supplies the vast majority of its software updates, including new versions of iOS and OS X, over the web, it relies on third party content delivery networks (CDNs) to handle the network requirements.

But all that's set to change. According to analyst Dan Rayburn over on StreamingMediaBlog, the company has commenced running its own CDN operation. This involves cutting out the middle-man and dealing directly with ISPs for the running of its online operations.

The result is that the forthcoming iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite software rollouts should, in theory, be the quickest and smoothest yet.

"Apple’s putting in place a lot of capacity to support upcoming software releases," reveals Rayburn. "Apple is still using Akamai and Level 3′s CDN services for iTunes (Akamai), Radio (Level 3) and app downloads, but over time, much of that traffic will be brought over to Apple’s CDN."

It's claimed that Apple has struck interconnect deals with a number of internet service providers - including Comcast - to buy up space on their networks. It's estimated that Apple will have invested more than $100 million in the process by the end of 2014.

It should be worth it, as Apple's own CDN is said to have more than 10 times the capacity of most standard service providers.

Apple is only the latest of several major tech companies to have taken such an approach, with Microsoft, YouTube, and most vocally Netflix all taking it upon themselves to exert a measure of control over the networks they rely on.

It also shouldn't come as a surprise because we know that Apple is obsessed with controlling the entire customer experience. That's always included software, hardware, and even retail. Now this holistic approach will include the networks Apple's devices connect through too.

Read More: Best laptops 2014

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Apple to lay off 200 from Beats

As Apple closes the deal to buy Beats for $3 billion, some 200 jobs are expected to be at risk.

Apple's acquisition of Beats was announced back in May, but the deal is only just set to be sealed following E.U. regulator approval.

One of the first points for the newly headphone-endowed company to address is what to do with the existing Beats staff roster, which numbers around 700.

According to Bloomberg, some 500 of those will be retained in their current (or similar) positions. The remaining 200 won't be so lucky.

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr has put it in a much nice way, claiming that "we have extended job offers to every Beats employee." The only catch is that "some offers are for a limited period."

Neumayr says that Apple will "work hard during this time to find as many of these Beats employees as we can another permanent job within Apple," but anyone who's ever been laid off will recognise that kind of corporate blow-softening language.

9to5Mac doesn't carry the precise 200 figure, but it does detail some of the positions that have been jettisoned, claiming that the "support, finance and HR departments" have been "largely dismantled."

It's believed that Beats chief creative officer Trent Reznor (yes, THAT Trent Reznor), and Beats Music CEO Ian Rogers will escape the cull.

The $3 billion Beats acquisition is Apple's biggest ever, giving the tech giant a brand new audio hardware arm as well as a tightly curated music subscription service to bolster its flagging iTunes offering.



Read More: Forget about design - Apple needs to improve Beats audio quality

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No Man’s Sky release date, gameplay, trailers, news and rumours

Everything you need to know about No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is an upcoming brand new IP from Joe Danger developer Hello Games. It’s a hugely open world game that claims to offer every player an entirely different experience.

The idea is that you can go anywhere, explore any planet and star and discover things that no-one else ever seen before. Call yourself a spaceman version of Captain Christopher Columbus if you will.

Originally announced at VGX 2013 with a trailer, the game was expanded upon at E3 2014 during the Sony presentation, much to the rapture of the crowd. In fact, we didn’t see many other games get so much applause.

Currently the rather intriguing game is set to land on the PS4 only, with a PC version potentially in the works too.

We’re collating all the No Man’s Sky news, rumours and gameplay information in one place until we get some concrete information as to when the game will be released.

No Man’s Sky Release Date – When is it coming out?

There’s currently no information on a No Man’s Sky release date, not even a vague year window. It’s expected that the game will arrive for PS4 in 2015, but that hasn’t been confirmed by developer Hello Games.

The game is only currently set for a PS4 launch, but a PC version hasn’t been ruled out yet.

“Basically we’re doing a console debut on PS4. That’s all we’re saying right now. But that leaves open a PC version, which we really want to do”, said Hello Games founder Sean Murray.

So for now, we’ll just have to sit and wait for Sony or Hello Games to provide a more concrete launch window for the interplanetary explorer.



SEE ALSO: Xbox One vs PS4

No Man’s Sky News

Bots used to explore the vast universe

Hello Games founder Sean Murray has revealed the developer is using bots to explore the No Man’s Sky universe. The universe is just so huge that automated bots have been sent out to explore the distant planets, take screenshots of them and then return to base.

"We are attempting to do things that haven’t been done before," said Murray to MIT Technology Review. "No game has made it possible to fly down to a planet, and for it to be planet-sized, and feature life, ecology, lakes, caves, waterfalls and canyons, then seamlessly fly up through the stratosphere and take to space again. It’s a tremendous challenge."

Just to give you a glimpse of the sheer size of the No Man’s Sky, "if you were to visit one virtual planet every second then our own sun will have died before you’d have seen them all."

Yeah, okay. That’s just showing off.



SEE ALSO: Mass Effect 4 news, rumours, release date

No Man’s Sky Gameplay

The idea behind the No Man’s Sky is an exploration game without limits. If you see a planet you like the look of, you can just go and land on it, explore and more.

Hello Games says that "every star in the sky in a sun that you can visit", which gives you an idea of the scale of this game.

First and foremost a single-player game, you are alone and vulnerable in space and on each planet and you’ll need to be wary of threats. There will be potential dangers lurking in deep space, thick forests, deserts or dark oceans.

The game will not only revolve around exploration and survival, but trading too. You can collect precious materials and exchange them for ship upgrades or better suits or equipment.

Originally, Hello Games stated that "you will never see another player", but a recent interview suggests otherwise.

Apparently, to solve potential issues with space loneliness, you’ll all start in the same galaxy on your own planet, with a shared goal of reaching the centre of said galaxy.

Later on, you’ll be able to meet up with players, trade and battle or engage in other interactions.



SEE ALSO: Destiny release date, news, gameplay and trailers

No Man’s Sky Universe

If you’re thinking that No Man’s Sky is a video game unlike any other, then you’re pretty much right. Although you can draw a few parallels with games like Minecraft, No Man’s Sky claims to offer each player a totally unique experience.

That’s thanks to the 10 man development team making sure each rock, tree, creature, flower and other planet contents are "procedurally generated". Apparently there are tens of millions of planets in the No Man’s Sky universe, all of which are unique.

"We talked about the feeling of landing on a planet and effectively being the first person to discover it, not knowing what was out there," said game creator Sean Murray. "In this era in which footage of every game is recorded and uploaded to YouTube, we wanted a game where, even if you watched every video, it still wouldn’t be spoiled for you."



SEE ALSO: Red Dead Redemption 2 release date, news, rumours and trailers

Rather than being hand drawn, each planet in No Man’s Sky is created by an algorithm that randomly generates the contents of that planet. Each one is subject to the laws of its solar system and can be vulnerable to erosion and other naturally occurring phenomenon.

The quality of the light on each planet will also be affected on what is contained within its universe, such as a yellow sun, red dwarf or red giant for example.

“[The algorithm has] simple rules, but combined they produce something that seems natural, recognisable to our eyes. We have come from a place where everything was random and messy to something which is procedural and emergent, but still pleasingly chaotic in the mathematical sense. Things happen with cause and effect, but they are still unpredictable to us.”

No Man’s Sky Trailers

There's only been three No Man's Sky trailers so far, but they're all pretty great. Take a look, go on. You know you want to.

Original VGX 2013 trailer:

A brief exploration of the game’s infinite worlds:

The latest E3 2014 trailer that was met with such great aplomb:

SEE ALSO: Best PS4 games

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