Latest news

As a headsup for our readers, the Amazon Fire TV is still on sale, albeit for a limited time.

The e-commerce giant dropped the price last week from its standard $99 to $84, a decent price cut for the popular set-top box.

Afterdawn did a comprehensive review of the set-top earlier this year, which you can read here: Review: The powerful streaming, gaming set-top Amazon Fire TV

If you are interested in the device, check it here.

Apple has confirmed rumors and given Chinese consumers a set date for when they can get their iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The new flagship devices will reach the Chinese mainland on October 17th, available via Apple online, retail stores and through carriers.

Both devices finally received approval to be on the TD-LTE and FDD-LTE networks in the nation.

"We are thrilled to bring iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to our customers in China on all three carriers at launch," said Apple's CEO Tim Cook. "With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers will have access to high-speed mobile networks from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom for an incredible experience."

Pre-orders begin on October 10th, with release on the 17th.

The suggested price for the iPhone 6 is 5,288 (RMB) for the 16GB model ($860 USD), 6,088 (RMB) for the 64GB model and 6,888 (RMB) for the 128GB model ($1112 USD). The 6 Plus is even more expensive at 6,088 (RMB) for the 16GB model, 6,888 (RMB) for the 64GB model and 7,788 (RMB) for the new 128GB model ($1268).

Lost among their more high-profile announcements yesterday was the launch of an entry-level GoPro camera for the occasional action junkie.

The device is built into the rugged, waterproof house like its more expensive brothers, but can only capture 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps.

Adds the company: "The HERO captures the same immersive, eye-popping footage that's made GoPro one of the best-selling cameras in the world--all in a simplified package that's accessible to everyone with an MSRP of $129."

At 4 ounces, the device is light yet still rugged and can be used underwater as deep as 131 feet.

Check more on the device here.

If you have a jailbroken iOS device, your wait is over: Popcorn Time is finally available for iPads, iPhones and iPods.

The team behind the popular streaming service has made the download available through their own Cydia repository.

Reads the email we received:

iPhones, iPads and iPod touch users can start watching the coolest most awesome movies and TV shows directly on their device.
We're so happy and proud.
After only 5.5 months, Popcorn Time is available on all major platforms!
And this is only the beginning, trust us. Our future plans are huge.
We're on the road to becoming not only the ultimate watching experience but also the safest with the free built in VPN we've worked so hard on to ensure our user's safety."

There were a few notes, however, since the iOS version is still a clear beta.

* This first version of Popcorn Time for iOS doesn't have Chromecast and Airplay support like the Android and desktop versions do, but we're already working on them so it should be available in one of the upcoming releases.

*The free built in VPN is not yet available, but since as we already mentioned our user's safety is of top priority to us, we promise to release this feature asap. It's nearly ready.

HP has officially unveiled their Chromebook and Android tablet competitors, the Stream 7 and Stream laptop.

On the tablet side, the HP Stream 7 will cost $99 and feature a 7-inch display at 1280 by 800 pixels, an Intel Bay Trail Atom Z3735G and 1GB RAM. The device has 16GB internal storage and runs on a full Windows 8.1. In addition, HP is throwing in a free year of Office 365 Personal, 1TB of OneDrive storage and free 60 minutes of Skype calls per month.

The company is also offering an 8-inch model for $149 that comes with free 200MB of LTE per month for as long as you own the device.

For the Stream laptops, HP is offering 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models, each of which feature Intel Celeron processors, 32GB internal storage, the free year of Office 365 Personal and a ridiculously cheap price of $199 and $229, respectively. Each laptop also comes with $25 of Windows Store credit.

GoPro has unveiled their fourth-generation high-end cameras: the Hero4 Black and Hero4 Silver.

The sports, action cameras will feature notable upgrades from their predecessors, including either a touchscreen or 4K video capture at 30fps.

At the top of the line is the Hero4 Black which offers 4k video capture at 30fps, double the frame rate of last year's model, and can also record 1080p at 120fps. The powerful camera should no longer have any "rolling-shutter effect," adds the company.

The Hero4 Silver sells at a discount to the Black, but cannot record 4K. The camera can record 2.7K video at 30fps, 1080p video at 60fps, and 720p at the full 120fps. The camera does have touchscreen controls, however, which is new to the line.

Both devices are waterpoof to 131 feet, include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easier transfers, and can take stills at 12MP if you need to do so.

"For the past twelve years, our passion has been to make it easy for people to self-capture jaw dropping, professional quality footage of themselves engaged in their favorite activities," said GoPro Founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman. "That passion led us to embark on our most ambitious design and engineering effort ever, and the result is nothing short of the ultimate GoPro--the HERO4 Black. We can't wait to see what the world captures with it."

According to multiple reports, Apple is expected to begin selling the iPhone 6/6 Plus in China on October 10th.

Most of the rumor comes via an alleged internal Apple memo and from the news that China's MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) is in the final stages of approving the devices.

The memo says demo units will reach stores on the 7th, followed by sales starting on the 10th.

Both devices have been extremely popular in the U.S. and all other nations they have been released so far, but Chinese fans were disappointed when the approvals needed to begin selling the phone were delayed by the Chinese officials. The iPhone 6 Plus still has a 4 week waiting time, while the iPhone 6 has a one week wait time.

Both those times are expected to increase when the devices go on sale in China.

Groupon has a few good deals on new consoles this week, including the PS4 and Xbox One.

When using the code "GOODS10," you can get the PS4 and Xbox One w/out Kinect for $360, and you can even get the White Destiny bundle PS4 for $405.

Additionally, you can get the 3DS XL with Mario Party Island Tour bundle for $135.

Each one of the deals match the best prices we've seen for the consoles, and could get some consumers that were on the fence.

All the deals are good until supplies last, but the Destiny bundle will expire tomorrow no matter what.

Early next week, Microsoft is expected to give more information and even name its next Windows iteration, the operating system set for release next March.

The company has accidentally listed the name, or at least a preview name for the upcoming operating system- 'Windows TH,' which likely stands for Windows Threshold. The company has been using Threshold as its codename for development, but many still expect the OS to be called Windows 9 eventually. Microsoft does not often deviate from tradition.

Microsoft has already planned an event for Tuesday for the OS, and TH could be acting as a placeholder while Microsoft continues to play the waiting game on an official name.

As of writing, the company has taken down its Windows Technical Preview Site.

BitTorrent has confirmed that Thom Yorke's latest experimental release has been a hit, with 116,000 downloads in its first day online.

Yorke, the frontman for Radiohead, released his album via P2P distribution, offering a free 8-track-long version or the full album for $5.98.

It is unclear how many paid for the full, unlocked album, but it's safe to assume that many of the downloads were of the free variety, just as they were when Radiohead released their "In Rainbows" album in 2007 with a pay-what-you-please model.

At the time of the release, the album's producer said: "As an experiment we are using a new version of BitTorrent to distribute a new Thom Yorke record. The new Torrent files have a pay gate to access a bundle of files. The files can be anything, but in this case is an 'album'. It's an experiment to see if the mechanics of the system are something that the general public can get its head around. If it works well it could be an effective way of handing some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work...Enabling those people who make either music, video or any other kind of digital content to sell it themselves."

There will be more updates to come.

Sony has announced that its PlayStation Home service will be shuttering in March.

Says the company: "Due to a shifting landscape, PlayStation Home will cease publishing new content on November 12. Gamers in Europe, the US and Canada will be able to download content until December 3. As a token of our tremendous gratitude to the community, we will also be releasing a series of free content prior to the platform's closure on March 31, 2015."

Home is a virtual 3D social gaming platform that allows you to create your own avatar/sim which has its own apartment that you can furnish and fix up. You can travel the world which was updated by Sony and partners. The open areas had ads from the companies.

Unfortunately, if you spent money on Home, you will not get any refunds. "Due to the progressive and innovative nature of the gaming industry, PlayStation is unable to refund on legacy platform or service experiences," added Sony.

Microsoft has thrown its hat into the HDMI dongle ring, launching the Wireless Display Adapter (tad bland on the name there Microsoft) to take on Google's Chromecast and Roku's Streaming Stick.

The device is powered by Miracast, allowing you to quickly share content from your Windows 8.1 devices to the big screen. Just like its rivals, you can fully mirror your mobile device or PC, as well, since Miracast does not have any individual app limitations.

Microsoft is targeting the device for enterprises, as well, due to its quick Office document sharing, such as PowerPoint slides.

The company also confirmed that the Adapter will work with Android devices, as well, although it is less clear what app you will need.

Microsoft has priced the Adapter higher than its rivals, at $59.95, set for release next month.

Publisher Ubisoft has confirmed that its Watch Dogs for Wii U will not be receiving any of the DLC that its counterparts on other consoles will receive.

Back in March, the game was released for PS4, Xbox One and PS4, but Ubisoft announced that the Wii U version would be delayed. The company even admitted that its Wii U devs had moved to the more important PS4 and Xbox One teams to make sure the game was released on time for those consoles.

The game is now set for release in November, but it wont get the DLC, even with the delay, angering gamers.

Unfortunately, this latest slight is part of a larger trend of third-party developers staying away from the Wii U, due to its perceived lack of a large gamer base.

Following its $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, Disney has unsurprisingly taken the franchise to new levels by announcing new feature films, a licensing agreement with EA for console video games, and more recently, their first mobile title.

This week, the company has unveiled a second mobile 'Star Wars' title for iOS and Android: "Star Wars: Galactic Defense." Developed by mobile F2P giant DeNA, the game will be tower defense encompassing both trilogies of the Star Wars films. As always, you will get to choose what side of the force you want to fight for, and there will be online multiplayer as well.

"We're honored to work with Disney and Lucasfilm on Star Wars: Galactic Defense," said Barry Dorf, the vice president of partnerships and alliances at DeNa. "We can't use the Force, but we do have one of the world's most talented and passionate mobile development teams working to create an unforgettable Star Wars gameplay experience."

The game uses in-game currency of 'gems' that can be acquired through missions or through direct purchases.

Just a few months after releasing their $10,000 Signature Touch, the high-end luxury smartphone maker Vertu is preparing to launch their sequel, the Aster.

The device has just received Chinese and American regulatory approval, and will therefore be seeing the light of day in the coming months.

Vertu's Aster runs on Android 4.4 with Vertu's own UI overlay, has a 1080p 4.7-inch display, and features a design of titanium alloy and leather.

Powering the device is a quad-core 2.3GHz Snapdragon processor, 2GB RAM and the device features 64GB internal storage, dual 13MP/2MP cameras, LTE and NFC.

Because of its titanium body, the Aster weighs in at a hefty 6.9 ounces, much heavier than the much bigger iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4, which weigh 6.01 and 6.21 ounces, respectively.

Pricing has not been revealed, but expect the Aster to sell right in line with the Signature Touch, at around $10,000. Vertu appeals to a very niche clientelle, and the company is said to have sold less than 500,000 units since its inception in 2004.