We currently live in a gaming future that would’ve seemed completely bonkers to gamers from the ’90s. Square Enix hasn’t made a good game in years and the Final Fantasy series is almost irrelevant, Nintendo is floundering, PC gaming is as popular and accessible as it has ever been, and phones have overtaken dedicated portable gaming. One of the first things to happen that would’ve seemed crazy to a ’90s gamer, though, is when Sega bowed out of the hardware business and Sonic began appearing in games with Mario. Nintendo could take this partnership to the next level, as CEO Satoru Iwata has stated that the company will begin looking into mergers and acquisitions.

For as long as Nintendo has been around, it has largely been an isolated company — you were either with Nintendo’s way of thinking, or against it. Occasionally, it ventured out from its cave and had some strange collaborations, such as the Zelda games on the Phillips CD-i, but it mostly stayed in its cocoon of doing whatever it felt like regardless of basic industry trends (such as a competent online service) or fan desires (new IPs, less mini-game collections). The Big N’s strategy sometimes worked, such as with the DS and Wii, but miserably failed other times, such as with the Wii U, which is why the company is now facing potential disaster. One strategy that Nintendo is mulling over to help stave off oblivion is that of mergers and acquisitions. If Nintendo can’t save itself, then it’ll hire people to help, but who could those people be?

In a discussion with PC Magazine editor Jeffrey Wilson, Sega came up as the optimal choice. The once-proud company still has a ton of great IPs under its belt, but simply doesn’t have the financial backing to develop them. For instance, with Fire Emblem: Awakening being a smash hit on the Nintendo 3DS, a new, fully fledged Shining Force could achieve a similar level of success stateside. Sonic and Mario have been pairing off in party games for some time now, and Sega is one of the only developers left in the modern gaming world that — more often than not — falls in line with Nintendo’s family-friendly persona. The companies have also worked together on one of the GameCube’s only modem-enabled games, Phantasy Star Online, and PSO2 is currently stuck in Japan without a US release in sight. Meanwhile, beloved franchises haven’t had new installments in years, such as Jet Set Radio, which last released 12 years ago. The list goes on and on.

If not Sega, then it only takes one quick look at a Steam sale to see that there are a bunch of indie developers creating successful games that hearken back to old-school Nintendo franchises. Nintendo has only been surviving thanks to milking every last drop of nostalgia gamers have left, and could certainly make a few pitches to some of these indie developers.

Sega seems like the best fit, but for now, there’s no word at allregarding which developers Nintendo is thinking about gobbling up. For Nintendo fans, the good news here is that the company is mulling over changing their (unsuccessful) strategies — something that also would blow the mind of a long-time gamer.

Microsoft is tempting PlayStation gamers to give up on Sony's seven-year-old system and upgrade to its next-generation hardware with in-store credit to its retail locations.

Its flamboyant "ditch your PS3" marketing push offers $100 (about £61, AU$114) of trade-in credit toward an Xbox Oneat the Microsoft Store in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

This eye-catching PS3 trade-in program is actually good for anything at the company's retail stores, not just an Xbox One, according to the official offer page.

In fact, it's also offering last-generation gamers the same exact amount if they trade in an Xbox 360 S or Xbox 360 E.

The fine print reveals that the deal comes down to a less provocative trade in a slim Xbox 360 and any PS3 console for credit to the entire Microsoft Store.

Microsoft has pulled the same stunts with both tablets and smartphones in the past.

It was offering double what it is currently paying for a PS3 if you traded in an iPad for one of its Surface tablets back in September.

That same month, it was paying top dollar for iPhone and Android devices, suggesting an upgrade to a Windows Phone 8 handset for the next two years.

Microsoft's crazy push to win converts through trade-in programs is continuing, a sign that it may just be on the rite-track enough to work.

The Xbox One is reportedly set to get its first big dashboard update in March, fixing a number of problems with the Xbox Live service.

The other good news is that the white Xbox One, initially for Microsoft employees only, is reportedly coming in October.

We might see a 1TB model of the Xbox One in November,since Microsoft has been testing versions of the Xbox One without an Optical Disk Drive.

The New Year hangover will officially be cleared by Thursday.

Sony is inviting journalists to a London event where it will – I'm certain – reveal its launch plans for the new PS Vita Slim in the UK. An invitation from Sony to journalists reads: "Following the biggest launch in PlayStation history, join us for an introduction to the slimmest."

The overwhelming likelihood is that the western world will soon finally know when they'll be able to buy the new PS Vita Slim. Right now the hardware model is only available in Japan, where it launched in early October.

The New PS Vita Slim specifications

We'll get to why we think this could well be Sony's last ever handheld console, but first - what's different about this model?

Well for a start, compared to the original PS Vita which first launched over here in 2012, this system is about 20% thinner and 15% lighter.

Sony's new handheld comes in six colours (white, grey, yellow, pink, brown, and black) and then, the original's proprietary charge input will be replaced with the common Micro-USB port.

Battery life is said to be noticeably better, though Sony's legal team can only guarantee it lasts an hour longer than the original model (in most cases, it'll run beyond that).

One of the key reasons for the extra battery life is that the PS Vita's gorgeous OLED display has been replaced by a more inexpensive and energy-efficient LCD. Sony insists this won't reduce image quality, though personally I find that hard to believe.

As a bonus, the PS Vita slim also carries 1GB of internal storage memory, meaning you won't have to pay for one of Sony's inexcusably expensive memory cards, at least for a little while.

The PS Vita is currently in a rare predicament. Its owners describe it as a wondrous, beautifully designed handheld with a growing list of amazing indie games

Along with this, it comes with the usual PlayStation Plus bonuses (including two free games per month) and the surprisingly functional Remote Play feature, which allows you to access PS4 games through the handheld via a Wi-Fi connection.

Yet, paradoxically, no one seems to be buying the Vita. In fact, you'd have to go all the way back to last January if you're looking for the system's most recently disclosed sales figures. Back then, Sony revealed that Vita had a paltry installed base of 4 million, and ever since, the corporation has willfully masked the sales figures in its investor reports.

It doesn't inspire confidence, but it's not much of a shock either. The very concept of handheld gaming has been endangered ever since Apple and Google began to offer an ocean of games on their app stores for a fraction of the cost.

 Mobile devices to kill handheld

Shuhei Yoshida, who runs the PlayStation hardware division, recently admitted there is "no question" about whether mobiles have hurt handheld sales. Considering its predecessor, the PSP, sold 76 million units, it's not unreasonable to believe the whole business has fallen off a cliff.

In fact, unless there's a dramatic upsurge in sales, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony abandons its traditional handheld business by the time PS Vita comes to an end.

The numbers are simply unsustainable from an investment standpoint, and Sony probably shouldn't hold out for the explosive growth of mobile games to end anytime soon.

So the new PS Vita Slim, presuming that's what this Thursday's event is all about, could be the final dedicated Sony handheld ever. A marvelous system that has fallen victim to the merciless speed of change. A premium system in a run-of-the-mill age. The last of its kind.

The difference between mobile devices and handheld are OS and sim-card support

One of the things that the Windows Phone platform often gets criticised for is its lack of big name applications when compared to the likes of Android and iOS, but one thing it does now have in common is the fact that the Asphalt 8 Airborne Windows Phone 8 game is now available free.

One of the most popular racing game titles Asphalt 8 Airborne has been made available to Windows Phone 8 users as a free download, and comes after the title got similar treatment for the Android and iOS platforms back in November last year.

Those that download the game are treated to the chance of taking control of 47 high performance cars from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini among many others. There is high quality audio provided with realistic car motor sounds.

The game is not just about racing around various tracks as you can pull off some jumps and barrel rolls as your car hits some ramps and you can race in nine different settings such as Venice or the Nevada Desert finding lots of short cuts.

In Career mode you will find 8 seasons with 180 events and there is a realistic damage system, and in multiplayer you will find action for up to 8 real opponents. To find out more or to download hit the Windows Phone Store.

The designers behind Onewheel have come up with an ingenious new skateboard that, along with self-balancing technology, can make you feel like you’re flying.

If you decide to make a pledge through Kickstarter, you are promised to receive the most advanced motion sensing, hub motor and battery technology available, all of which is hidden from sight. Even when there is no snow or surf to be had, Onewheel can still give you the same experience as snowboarding or surfing.

Weighing in at 11kgs, Onewheel has a top speed of 20km/h and has a range of six to nine kilometers depending on what terrain you are riding on. The battery can be recharged in two hours but if you’re in a hurry then the ultra-charger will top it up in twenty minutes.

The frame is made from solid billet 6061 aluminium, making it strong yet light. The motor is built in to the wheel hub, whilst the deck has the same look as a high-end skateboard thanks to the high-quality Canadian maple.

What makes Onewheel special are the gyro and accelerometer sensors that feed a powerful processor to determine the exact speed to drive the motor, depending on how you lean your body. The further forward you lean, the faster it goes. To slow down you just lean back.

It can take a bit of time to get used to the technique behind surfing or snowboarding, yet apparently most people can learn to ride Onewheel in just a couple of minutes, even if they haven’t done a lot of boardsports. That sounds a bit optimistic but the designers have developed powerful sensors and sophisticated algorithms, which constantly help you to balance and control the board.

Onewheel still has a couple of days left for its Kickstarter campaign but that’s not a problem because so far it has raised over $380,000 of its original $100,000 target.

Pro kitesurfer Gretta Kruesi tests out Onewheel

If it reaches $400,000 then the plan is to develop an app for the electric skateboard that will work with both Android and Apple devices, which will connect to Onewheel via Bluetooth. The app will allow the rider to select various ride modes, limit the speed, lock Onewheel and track rides through GPS.

Windows manufacturer, Microsoft, is about to complete its acquirement of Nokia.  Obviously other Windows Phone manufacturers do not like this at all. When the deal has been completed, the innovative  software manufacturer will finish up owning approximately 90% of the Windows Phone market, thereby leaving little or no room at all for any healthy competition.

Monopoly is not something any company wants. But before you question this statement, think about this for a moment; in order to have a prosperous environment that can compete with the likes of Android, Microsoft needs numerous vendors to make Windows Phone devices in order to keep the prices low. If prices remain too high, consumers will switch to other devices, such as Apple. Microsoft needs to get current customers to stay on board by any means necessary.

Rumours have said that Microsoft will spend some $2.6 billion to subsidize other handset manufacturers. The largest portion of that amount goes to Samsung, which should receive the largest portion; Huawei and then Sony closely follow them.  The remaining amounts would no doubt be sliced up between the other manufacturers. HTC is apparently not on the list, although,  However, Microsoft has said that these figures are completely erroneous.

As a reminder, at the time Nokia announced support for Windows Phone, it apparently received approximately $1 billion from Microsoft. And allegedly, now other handset makers would like a similar deal.

What do you think? Are Microsoft’s statements about co-marketing with partners just an excuse for bribery? Or shall we say monopolisation tactics? Or is there a genuine reason behind the original figures put forward by Mobile-Review’s Eldar Murtazin?  As always your comments are always welcome.

The World’s ATMs Machines Moves to Windows 7

Microsoft is about to make a support change to Windows XP. Unfortunately this means that ATMs all over the world will need to be upgraded and changed to Windows 7. The scary thing is that, according to the largest ATM supplier in the U.S., NCR,  95-percent of the world’s ATMs are powered by XP.

Microsoft has announced an extension to its anti-malware support but eventually this support for Windows XP will be cut off leaving ATMs and anything else running XP, open to security risks.

This is not a surprise as Microsoft have been warning customers about a deadline for some time now, yet businesses using ATMs have been slow to respond to the announcements. It looks like Windows 7 will be the choice to replace XP but some may even need hardware upgrades, that’s if they don’t just need scrapping completely.

JPMorgan has admitted that out of its 19,000 ATMs, 3,000 will need “enhancements” before upgrading to Windows 7. This is likely to be a rather expensive event for banks and ATM manufacturers but is essential when considering the amount of use they receive each day by customers.

It is likely that when the change does come about, we will see improvements to the old and slow ATM. Let’s just hope the upgrades are completed in time so as to avoid any hacking incidents.

iPhone update, iOS 7.1 to solve reboot problem

Quite often we see new smartphone operating systems released to users that cause some of them to experience issues with the software. That has certainly been the case with iOS 7 that was originally released back in September, but the iOS 7.1 update is promised to correct the iPhone reboot problem once it has been released.

The latest beta for the iOS 7.1 update was released to developers a few days ago with the final public release of the operating system expected to come in March, but many iPhone users have been experiencing a bug that causes the handset to suddenly reboot with either a black or white screen

Some have been hit with the problem after the battery falls to the 30% level or below, while other users saw that the device will reboot if a certain application is fired up. The problem is being worked on and Apple have confirmed to Mashable that an upcoming update will fix this issue “that can occasionally cause a home screen crash”

This crashing of the handset can occur during normal use of the handset and is obviously very frustrating for owners of the smartphone, but it is not known for sure if the fix for this issue will come with the iOS 7.1 software or if Apple may release an iOS 7.0.5 updater before then.

Microsoft Smart Elevator Also Known as AI

It seems that everything around us is developing its own intelligence. Microsoft Research now wants to take elevators to a complete different level, one where they can actually tell which floor you require, without you pressing a single button.

Bloomberg reports that a research team applied sensors to the front of elevators, which observed peoples’ actions while in and around the elevator. Without using any extra programming or facial recognition software, they just watched for three months.

In those three months the artificial intelligence system learned to interpret peoples’ behavior and started to comprehend their intentions and desired destination. Once the learning portion was switched off after the three months, the AI system was able to understand where the user wanted to go and operated the elevator.

Head of Microsoft Research Peter Lee, told Bloomberg that the company is focusing on AI at the moment. He explains how the smart elevator could be used in practice:

“If your environment knows, for example, that it’s lunch time, that you had spoken yesterday about having lunch with a colleague on the second floor, and that it notices that you seem to be now leaving your office to go to the elevator, the elevator can be smart enough to take you, without your need to operate anything, to your colleague.”

Microsoft Research are dedicated to searching out the next big thing for computing: “We think in the future, you won’t be operating computers, but instead computers will be working on your behalf.”

How do you envision the world ending? Global warming? Do you see aliens finally coming to take us to the mothership? Maybe you imagine some kind of cataclysmic nuclear warfare? Or, maybe you picture some kind of all out World War 4 where all of the citizens left on Planet Earth do battle with each other. Whatever your picture of Earth’s ending, it’s probably not too pretty.

But did the world ending via drones ever occur to you? The U.S.’s drones have been a constant fixture on the news as of late, but it turns out that Uncle Sam’s not the only one with a lineup of drones. Apparently Russia is also slowly building an army of drones…that is if recent pictures have anything to say about it. What would Russia do with a drone army? Your guess is as good as mine, but they probably don’t exist to make friends with other drones. As some of the pictures show, Russia’s drones can move over land and over sea. It’s probably not too big of a stretch to say that some of them can even move throughout the air as well.

What Are Drones Design For?

It has already been reported that many believe robot soldiers will outnumber humans by the year 2023. Robots are even now being developed that can do everything humans can do and supposedly more. With all of this news of drones everywhere you look, that doesn’t seem as hard to believe as it may once have been. The earth may be laid to rest under the attack of drones.

It’s unknown how many drones there are in the world, but many believe it’s safe to say there are many, many that we have no idea about. Maybe it’s better that way, I don’t know. What do you think?

Gmail down for users around the globe

Google Inc suffered a service outage on Friday that briefly took down Gmail, the Internet email service used by hundreds of millions of people and many businesses across the globe.

Google, which first acknowledged the outage at 11:12 a.m. Pacific Time (19:12 GMT), said roughly one hour later that service had been restored for some users and it expected "a resolution for all users in the near future."

It remained unclear what triggered the outage, which affected users in at least India, Britain and the United States and prompted a stream of complaints on Twitter from users in many more countries.

"We're investigating reports of an issue with Gmail. We will provide more information shortly," the company said on its "App Status" dashboard online, which tracks the state of various Google services.

Two other Google properties, the social network Google Plus, and YouTube, appeared to load slowly as well.

Yahoo Inc, which runs a rival Internet mail service, seized the moment to post a screenshot of the Gmail error page to Twitter.

Google users attempting to sign on saw a "temporary error" message and a brief note: "We're sorry, but your Gmail account is temporarily unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience and suggest trying again in a few minutes."

Google did not respond to requests for comment.

HP looks as though it is taking its stand on Windows 8, the company has sent its customers emails, informing them that “Windows 7 is back”.

The PC making company has launched a new promotion on its website, offering people a saving of $150, if they choose Windows 7 rather than Windows 8.

If the message isn’t clear enough, then the slogan “back by popular demand”, should clear everything up. Upon entering the website, if you select to browse HP’s selection of desktop PCs, then you’ll notice that you are only given the option of Windows 7 machines by default. If you want to view Windows 8 PCs, then you have to actually customize the search using the optional filters. When searching for laptops, it is pretty much the same, though there are a few Windows 8 laptops included in the results. When it comes to the all-in-one section of the site, Windows doesn’t even get a look in, with the main feature being the company’s Android-powered PC.

Hp is the first company to sell Windows 7 over Windows 8. It’s no wonder Microsoft is keen to move away from the 8 branding. So expect big changes with Windows 9.

First Tizen devices Coming on February 23 2014

Samsung has sent press invites for a February 23 event just ahead of the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona, where it will showcase the latest Tizen devices, and speak about the development of the OS.

The press event will take place one day before Nokia's event at MWC 2014. The event is said to be attended by major carrier partners of Tizen, namely SK Telecom, Korea Telecom (KT) and LG U+, though NTT DoCoMo might not be able to attend the event, reports Sam Mobile. This might in part be due to NTT Docomo's pessimistic outlook for the 2014 launch of Tizen devices.

"Please join the Tizen Association Board on Sunday, 23 February 2014 for a welcome reception and kick-off to MWC 2014. During this invite only event, you will get an exclusive sneak preview of the newest Tizen devices as well as an opportunity to learn about the major milestones that the Tizen project has hit since last year's event, via jonesarena.blogspot.com live coverage of the event

We ask you to reserve time from 3-6 PM CET on 23 February 2014 at Hotel ARTS Barcelona where you will also have the opportunity to hear from and interview Tizen Association Board Members," states the press invite.

Mobile Review's experts recently claimed that the South Korean planned to launch the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S5 at an event in Barcelona on February 23, ahead of MWC 2014. experts  also claims that the alleged Galaxy S5 will be available by the end of April and suggests that a new TouchWiz UI is in tow. Shortly after however, claims suggest that the new TouchWiz UI will also be 

available for other Samsung devices that will receive kitkat update

Nokia, on the other hand, has also sent press invites scheduled for a February 24 event at MWC. In total, six Nokia handsets are expected to be revealed at the event, including a few large-screen smartphones, or phablets. These devices are namely 'Goldfinger', 'Moneypenny', Lumia 1520V, Lumia 1525, Lumia 1820 and Nokia X (also known as Nokia Normandy).

Should You Seduce Your Interviewer?

We all know the feeling, butterflies in the stomach, slightly clammy hands, constantly checking to make sure our hair's okay, etc. All you want to do is put your best foot forward, right? I'm not talking about first dates, of course, but rather the first interviews so many of us dread. Here's a list of why people would do well to consider courting an employer in the same way they (should) approach the dating game.

How many of us have spent years floating in and out of relationships with people that are never really that good of a fit? Well the same applies to careers. If you've spent the last five years bouncing between IT jobs with five different companies, chances are high that it's not the companies' fault, it's just that you don't enjoy your career path. Make sure you know what you really want first.

Check Your Manners
If you had a date with a big star like Charlize Theron or Justin Timberlake, chances are high you would be on your absolute best behavior. No food stuck in your teeth or anything, right? Treat your potential employer the same way. Until you get the job (relationship time!), there should be no off-the-cuff humor and you should use a body spray like ( Deodorant ) to avoid the discharge of bodily gasses

We've all experienced that one person we used to be interested by, you know, the one who ruined it by calling us an insane amount of times in a row. Think employers are any different? It's annoying, and on top of that, it shows that you have very low value. Anyone who believes in their own self-worth will not feel the desperation necessary to constantly contact their significant other, be it an interviewer or a date.

Dont Be Too Cheap 

People always want what they don't have, that's why playing hard to get works both in love and in business. The key word is hard, not impossible. Show the company you're interviewing with that you have options, that you are fine on your own, and that you have enough value that you could walk away if need be. Don't overdo it, or else people will think you don't care, but have enough self-respect to show that you are something worth chasing.

Stay Positive

This is the best way to impress a potential mate, because who wouldn't want to be with a positive person? Psychology has shown that seeing another person laugh and smile makes us want to mirror their behavior, and of course, everyone likes to laugh and smile. Though you may not have the best resume, if you can get your interviewer feeling at ease and in a good move, when they look back at your interview they will only be able to associate positive things to your name.

What is Unreal Engine 4?

If you are not a gamer, well i am, at-least you may have heard of ps4 or xbox one

 As the world’s most advanced game engine, Unreal Engine 4 gives you the power to do more than ever before. Unreal Engine 4 offers a deep, intuitive toolset and low-level access to code, cutting down on development time and ensuring faster iteration on creative ideas. With a completely new rendering architecture, Unreal Engine 4 enables you to achieve high-end visuals, while remaining both scalable and accessible to make games for low-end systems.

Mobile graphics are always getting more and more impressive, with the advent of the world 

most powerful CPU ( Tegra K1 ) it will even get better.

Alongside its 192-core Tegra K1 chip, NVIDIA unveiled this video, which hypes up the relationship between NVIDIA and Epic Games and shows off some of the power of the chip.

Unreal Engine4 for Tegra K1 brings DirectX11′s feature set to mobile platforms, bringing things like high dynamic range rendering, as well as post processing stuff like blur and bokeh lens effects. The video does a really good job of showing how far mobile graphics have come.

The most interesting sequence, though, isn’t the dilapidated subway. Instead, the living room is what really shows off the quality of the rendering the engine is able to achieve. Things like the way light reflects off of the flat screen television and the metal bars of the coffee table are really disarming. It’s easy to say an unfamiliar environment looks good, but realistic environments are harder to make truly convincing.

Unreal Engine4 on Tegra K1 means that mobile devices such as flag ship smartphones and 

tablets will be able to run ps4 and xbox one games with the same level of graphics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4b5GKbs6rF8

Since 2007, Google's Android mobile platform has gone from strength to strength, its inextricable rise to prominence mirroring that of the smartphones it powers.

In six short years, Android devices have become pre-eminent in the smartphone space thanks mainly to the continual innovation and powerful marketing strategies of Samsung- something that has seen the Korean firm's output dominating worldwide sales and establishing Google's OS asthe mobile platform of choice for OEMs, developers and consumers alike.

Whether Android's seemingly unshakable position would have resulted without Samsung's backing, or Samsung's dominance of worldwide smartphone sales would have happened without Android in tow, is a debate that still rolls on.

What is clear however is that JK Shin and co are increasingly looking at alternatives as a way to maximise potential revenues.

Why so? Because whilst Android may feature on its best-selling wares, the spoils from that particular eco-system - be it from in-game purchases, streaming services such as Play Music, or the lucrative mound of data accrued from such services (that can be subsequently used to leverage other Google products) - don't go into Samsung's bank account.

The solution to such a conundrum? A 'home-cooked' operating system that whilst open-source in nature, has the reigns held somewhat by Samsung. Enter Tizen

So, this Tizen then. You've probably gathered that it's a mobile OS and that Samsung has its finger in this particular software pie.

Most casual observers probably aren't aware however that, much like Android before it, Tizen has its roots in Linux and is governed by a 'steering group' comprising of device manufacturers, software developers, and mobile network operators.

Samsung and chip maker Intel are the key drivers of the initiative first galvanised in 2012 - Tizen rose phoenix-like from the ashes of Intel and Nokia's much talked about but never really made it out into the open MeeGo OS and Samsung's decision to incorporate its ailing native platform Bada into the new venture.

The aim, although not explicitly stated as such, appears to be to take on the might of Android by extending the reach to third party devs by supporting JavaScript, CSS, and most pertinently, HTML5.

The fledgling OS is not restricted to mobile devices however - the Tizen Foundation envisage the platform's versatility allowing it to power netbooks, tablets, TVs, and in-car systems.

The latter in particular seems to be a sector ready to embrace the platform with director of the Tizen Foundation and Intel platform and business manager, Chris Croteau, recently commenting that the OS has "a strong base built up in automotive" and that the "automotive grade Linux consortium, led by Toyota and Jaguar and Land Rover, is all based on Tizen."

Indeed, this ties in with the Tizen Foundation's gathering of support from no less than 36 other companies including Huawei, Fujitsu, Panasonic, Konami, eBay, and Japanese network NTT Docomo to call on in their quest to broaden commercial possibilities for the platform beyond that of Samsung's initial goal of lessening its dependence on Android.

So, the cornerstones all appear to be in place, so when will we see it on an actual phone?

The cynical out there might suggest that Tizen could have a touch of MeeGo's smoke and mirrors about it, given that the internet has been awash with talk of the OS since its launch at Mobile World Congress 2013 and yet actual devices running it have been thin on the ground.

Since then, reports suggesting a Tizen-powered smartphone from Samsung surfacing before the end of that year (later commuted to 'September 2013') came and went with the operating system finally breaking cover on the Samsung NX300M, a digital camera.

Recent developments however have looked more promising - a mid-November report published by the Korea Herald covering a local think-tank on the future of smart TVs shed more light on the situation. Quoting the head of Samsung's visual display unit, a Tizen-powered TV will not launch until the OS makes its smartphone bow, now slated for 2014.

This, when coupled with a video of the platform being demoed on a developer unit called the Z9005 Redwood doing the rounds, at least suggests that Samsung and the rest of the interested parties haven't forgotten about Tizen.

As ever with this kind of caper, Samsung has remained tight-lipped, choosing to ignore tech journalists calling it out on its unfulfilled promises of launch dates and the continual shifting of goalposts. The resulting information vacuum has of course caused the rumour mill to go into overdrive with industry analysts and the like going to town on how Tizen will eventually manifest itself in hardware form.

The latest addition to the saga comes via the announcement of the Tizen 3.0 iteration at the Tizen Developer Summit in South Korea last month.

The new variant is said to include support for 64-bit chips, which given that next-gen smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 are tipped to rock such architecture, is significant and adds weight to rumours that the next Samsung flagship could appear in both Android and Tizen versions

.Unfortunately for eager Tizen-ites, the release date for version 3.0 is given for Q3 2014, so we could be waiting for quite a bit longer.

If what we know of Tizen so far is correct, the OS looks to be on to a winner. The extended reach enabled by support for other coding languages, the versatility that allows it to be utilised in other non-mobile devices (plus a string of high-profile partners lined up to get on board), support for 64-bit chips and the ability to sustain 3D user interfaces, all bode well.

If history teaches us anything though, it's that mobile OS' live or die by the wealth of apps available in their app stores. Just ask BlackBerry.

So, with that in mind, it's safe to say that Samsung and all who sail in the good ship Tizen will have to pull out all the stops to pique the interest of third party developers and get them creating high-quality apps to entice a potential user-base.

Thankfully, those involved in the venture foresaw this and set about creating a series of incentives to get devs on board, the first of which was the 'Tizen Port-a-Thon' - an initiative that targeted developers for Samsung's now defunct native OS, Bada.

The invite-only scheme opened in April this year and encouraged Bada devs to register and submit apps for entry into the Tizen market, offering $3,000 as a basic incentive and providing developers with hardware on which to tweak their wares.

Never ones to rest on their laurels, Samsung (and the Tizen Foundation) followed that up with the announcement of the 'Tizen App Challenge', a similarly positioned initiative only this time offering a combined total of $4m in prizes for those devs successful in getting their apps certified.

The Tizen App Challenge ran until December 2013 and offered financial reward for apps in various categories including a hefty $200,000 grand prize for game app developers, and perhaps most notably a $50,000 purse for each of the top ten rated HTML5 apps.

Whether this will provide app creators with the impetus they need to develop for Tizen remains to be seen, but given that the Tizen Foundation has also partnered with app crowdfunding outfit appbackr as well as third party 'middleware' porting tools including Construct 2, and Havok's Project Anarchy, the signs are positive.

Brian Warner, Senior Member Services Manager for Linux Foundation Collaboration Projects said of the partnerships: "We've been really impressed with the flurry of new developer tools and activities in support of Tizen and firmly believe in the value of the competition because history has shown time and again this is the best way to foster vibrant, robust ecosystems."

From what we've learnt during the course of this little 'examination', it could be that Android may well have a viable competitor to contend with in the near future should all the pieces fall in to place.

Samsung, Intel and the rest of Tizen's interested parties have clearly done their homework and addressed the main pitfalls of getting a new OS and associated eco-system off the ground.

Well, except one that is; turning the heads of both developers and consumers with an actual Tizen device. On that front, the silence has been deafening but given that those other two mobile platform upstarts - Jolla's Sailfish and Mozilla's Firefox OS - are now out there on commercially available devices, we'd hedge our bets on a Tizen phone showing up soon.

Wireless power today is mostly about convenience; not having to fish out a cable and get it the right way round when you plug it in. But once it becomes ubiquitous, it will change the way devices are designed; they can have smaller batteries or save space by not needing the power port at all.

This year at CES, as we have seeing the latest wireless power products and the next step in wireless charging technology, we also got some good news on getting more users and businesses on board with wireless power - 2014 will definitely be a big year for wireless charging.

There are over 60 different phones that have Qi wireless charging (the inductive charging standard) built in today - and 40 million of them have been sold - and because it's a standard, you can put your phone down on any Qi charging surface and it will just start grabbing power.

If your phone doesn't have Qi built in, Incipio introduced a line of wireless charging pads and protective cases at CES that add it (including Lumia models like the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 1520 that have a connector designed to simplify adding a charging case).

That surface doesn't have to be a pad on your desk either. It could be a light or a mouse mat: silicon valley startup Kudos Tech had prototypes for both, although no dates for putting them into production yet.

You don't have to only charge a phone; IDAPT has added a Qi charging module to its clever Modulo battery system, which lets you connect up to five external 2000mAh batteries to charge your phone or tablet.

Snap on as many batteries as you need to take with you and drop it onto a wireless charger to keep them topped up before you leave.

Or it could be a car cradle (Nokia has a wireless charging cradle already and Tylt was showing off a prototype of its own at CES, with a perpetually sticky surface to hold your phone in place) or a tray built into your car. Both have NFC which can trigger your phone to launch a specific app, like GPS navigation, or pair with the car's Bluetooth automatically when you start charging it.

The Jeep Cherokee will have a wireless charging shelf in the 2014 model, Toyota will put it in the Avalon and Prius and the German auto consortium that advises Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi and BMW is recommending Qi, after a three year study on wireless charging.

We even saw an FAA-approved wireless charger for use on planes; expect to see it in private jets first rather than on your next economy flight though.

Making wireless power resonate

So with a standard like Qi and products already in the market, why is wireless charging still not common?

Expert says that confusion over standards has been slowing adoption. Yes, there's the Qi standard, but there have been plenty of other wireless charging launches that haven't been part of Qi. Even Qualcomm has its own wireless charging system for electric cars (it charges the motor, not your smartphone, but still, it's something else to confuse people).

The WPC is trying to tackle that by bringing new wireless charging developments into the Qi standard,

Today Qi uses near-field coupling, between the coil antenna inside your phone and the one inside the charging mat; you have to either put multiple coils in or rely on people lining up devices in just the right spot.

The latest Qi mats give you a little more freedom of movement but to be able to put devices down anywhere on the surface and to be able to fit the charging pad underneath a thick surface like a table or a kitchen worksurface requires the next technology to be included in the Qi standard, magnetic resonance.

Resonant charging lets you put the phone off to one side of the charging spot or have something else in the way and still get charge.

We saw a new charger from Convenient Power that has resonant charging that's fully backwards compatible with Qi, so you will be able to stack two notebooks on the charger and put a Nokia Lumia on top of them and have it charge.

Convenient Power also showed us a five-device charger that automatically detects the power requirements of the phones and tablets you put on it and delivers the right charge, and again you don't need to worry about lining them up neatly.

New Zealand wireless power experts PowerByProxi also creates resonant chargers, although it will licence its designs to other companies rather than selling them directly like Convenient Power. Phones will need to have a new charging antenna but they'll still charge on older Qi pads.

The big advantage of the PowerByProxi system is that it puts devices in charge of setting the power level they need, and it can send different power levels to different devices. That means your almost-flat tablet can get lots of power instead of just the trickle of power needed to top up your almost-fully-charged phone

Getting new developments into a backwardly compatible standard like this is vital if we want to see wireless charging on offer at Starbucks and every hotel the way wireless networking is – something that would really make wireless power ubiquitous

Infrastructure has been stalled because it's a very conservative market. A hotel wants maximum usability and long life before they're going to put this on every night stand. There needs to be an experience that adds value beyond charging," experts says.

The new chargers that can be bolted under tables without having to chisel out a slot will help, as with more freedom of positioning. "You just put the phone down on the charger; you don't have to get the placement just right."

And so with management software that shows which devices are sitting on a table, charging, and whether the power is getting through to them properly. Making wireless power easy to fit, easy to support and easy to use could be what we need to see it everywhere in the next couple of years.