Why Apple nearly ditched the iPhone, Galaxy Beam projector phone up for sale, Mass Effect 3 DLC, new tablets and more

The Gadget Show  Friday 03 August 2012

Been too caught up in the sport to catch up on the latest gadget news? We don’t blame you. Join us as we round up some of the week’s biggest tech stories that you may have missed: new phones, games and – gasp – why the iPhone nearly didn’t exist. Step this way.



Ouya console kickstarter success: what you need to know

iPhone nearly axed over fears it would not be good enough Since the original iPhone, Apple’s handsets have achieved phenomenon-like status, but at one time Apple nearly thought about scrapping the iPhone entirely. Speaking at an event at the British Business Embassy (via The Independent), Apple design legend Sir Jonathan Ive revealed that “here were multiple times where we nearly shelved the phone because we thought there were fundamental problems that we can’t solve,” and fears that the iPhone would not be good enough. A world without the iPhone? Imagine that.

Samsung Galaxy Beam: phone with built-in projector goes on sale Samsung’s Galaxy Beam phone looks like your regular smartphone, until you switch on its built-in projector. That’s right. The Galaxy Beam will project an image from the phone up to 50-inches in size. Admittedly the rest of its specs are pretty standard. We’re talking Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 5-megapixel camera and a 1GHz dual-core processor, but then again, how many other smartphones can boast a projector?

Back kickstarter Ouya console, get Limited Edition version The kickstarter-funded Ouya console is hoping to take the console market by storm with cheaper games for all. If you’re taken by Ouya, but have yet to back it yourself, now might be a good time. Ouya is offering funders a Limited Edition version with a slick brown brushed metal finish and matching gamepad for those that put in $140 (£90), although UK customers will have to pay around £13 for post and packaging from the U.S.

New Archos G10 xs tablet teased Archos has been teasing its new G10xs tablet on the company’s Facebook page. The tablet will run Android 4.0, support microSD card storage, and even back HDMI support so you can lash it up to your telly. From the picture revealed, it’s difficult to know too much else, but it already appears quite the looker. Would you purchase a new Archos tablet instead of an iPad?

Mass Effect 3 ‘Leviathan’ new single-player content announce Mass Effect 3 will soon be getting new single player content in the form of a new add-on campaign titled ‘Leviathan’. The pack will expand on the original story, with new characters, weapons and upgrades and encounters with the infamous Reapers as players “unravel the dark history of the Reaper Race”. The new content will be available later this summer. 



Microsoft Surface tablet out October 26th

Seen any other cool gadget and games stories we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below.

Tags:

Apple, iPhone, mass effect 3, DLC, tablet, Archos