Tech Features

This week in tech, we saw a new Nintendo 3DS, Google's iPad challenger and an original IP from the folks behind Angry Birds.

Rovio reveal their first post-Angry Birds app

After so may iterations on the biggest app success of all-time, Angry Birds, Finnish developers Rovio have finally decided to see whether or not they can plough similarly fertile ground with a brand new IP. It's called Amazing Alex it's out very soon.

Coming to iPad, Android and iPhone this month, the app centres around its titular hero, a young boy with a passion for building items. The game itself transpired after Rovio purchased the original IP for the game Casey's Contraptions from developers Mystery Coconut and Snappy Touch.

As you can see below, Rovio is keeping the app's gameplay dynamics close to their chest for now. Can they capture lightning in a bottle twice? We'll find out very soon.

Google lay down a marker in the tablet arena with Nexus 7

After rumours that Google were about to challenge Apple's iPad dominance in the tablet market, they instead revealed a device this week that will have Amazon's Kindle Fire shaking in its boots.

Titled as the Nexus 7, the tablet will cost just $199 and boasts an 1280x800 screen, a front-facing camera, a Tegra 3 processor and nine hours of video playback, while running on Android 4.1, also known as "Jelly Bean.

Best of all, the Nexus 7 is launched in mid-July - making Microsoft's vague reveal of the Surface and its undefined October release look quite unwise.

Netflix loses further ground to LOVEFilm

Let's face it; Netflix in the UK and Ireland has been quite disappointing, with the streaming service still not providing films from the back catalogues of the five "majors" in the Hollywood movie industry - Paramount, Dreamworks, 20th Century Fox, Universal and Sony Pictures.

Having already signed up Sony Pictures, their biggest UK rivals LOVEFiLM added insult to injury this week with a new deal alongside 20th Century Fox.

Netflix's response? They actually issued a press release to announce that the new season of the old Fox show Arrested Development will only be available on Netflix and thus, their services offers members "more complete seasons of great 20th Century Fox TV shows".

With Sky hoping to sweep in and take the entire streaming market for itself with NOW TV later this year, Netflix really has to pull the finger out with something better than admittedly great but niche comedies.

Nintendo unveil 3DS "XL" hardware revision

Late last week Nintendo made the unusual decision to reveal the brand new Nintendo 3DS XL handheld not at E3 earlier in June as previously expected but with a Nintendo Direct live feed announcement that was broadcast at 5am in the UK and Ireland. Hmm...

The new console will feature 90 per cent bigger screens, increasing the 3D top screen from 3.58 inches to 4.88 inches and enlarging the lower touch screen from 3.02 inches to 4.18 inches. Overall, the XL is 46 per cent larger than the regular 3DS.

Rather surprisingly, the console won't does not feature a second analogue stick - a problem which Nintendo "fixed" with the cumbersome Circle Pad Pro add-on released earlier this year. Instead, we're they will release an even clunkier Circle Pad Pro XL. Double hmm...

The Nintendo 3DS XL hits Europe on July 28 and to be honest, we're not entirely ruling its success out - 3D on a screen that big could be something to behold.