George ‘GeoHot’ Hotz has met with Sony to discuss his hacking methods.

Early 2011 was a HOT (Pun 100% intended) commodity in the world of hacking and was proving his worth with a series of high profile hacks. Firstly, he became the first person to successfully unlock the iPhone and would go on to follow this up with the high profile release of the PS3 root key, which would allow a whole generation of tech whiz kids to create homebrew software and run pirated software on the PlayStation 3.

Legal action followed and Hotz was served with a permanent injunction as part of a rather reasonable settlement.

However, as Hotz recently told the New Yorker, Sony were equally interested in picking his brains regarding his hacking methodologies. A meeting which far surpassed his expectations:

“If there were going to be lawyers there,” he told the New Yorker, “I was going to be the biggest asshole ever.” However, he instead discovered a room of “respectful” engineers, far more interested in the valuable information he could pass on.

So, does this action perhaps suggest even tighter security measures for the next generation of consoles? Rumours have already circulated regarding the possibility of permanently online consoles, capable of defeating piracy and the more sophisticated group of 21^st century hackers who have caused Sony so much anguish in recent years.

With Microsoft and Sony yet to reveal their plans to challenge Nintendo’s Wii U, only time will tell.

As per usual with any release of an Apple product, rumours are circulating the blogsphere as to when the iPad 3 will be released. We are now into February, the time of year that a new iPad is usually announced and as a result rumours are going into overload. A plethora of rumours have suggested a variety of iPad 3 release dates, with the latest one being March 29th. Apple France have lsited the release date of a number of iPad 3 help books as March 29th, leading to many people suggesting this is going to be the release date for the iPad 3. Weather this is true we simply have to wait.

What I am sure of with a fair degree of certainty is that the iPad 3 will be release some time at the end of March or begging of April. We just have to wait and see as to exactly when. I would expect Apple to announce the iPad 3 release date at a conference some time at the end of February or beggning of March, this will maintain the theme of previous iPad releases.

The main threat to the iPad 3 will be the Amazon Kindle Fire, so Apple will be looking to get the iPad 3 out as soon as possible to minimize any possible threat.

We will keep you updated with all iPad 3 rumours.

What are you hoping for from the iPad 3?

The two CEO’S of RIM, the creators of the Blackberry phones have today stepped down. Their jobs have been on the knife edge ever since the major blackberry outage last year. The pressure of this combined with Blackberry’s diminishing stake within the mobile phone market has resulted in changes at the top of the Candadian firm.

The co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have both stepped down with immediate effect. They will be replaced by the current Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins by next Monday.

Investors have welcomed this change of strategy, as the firm struggles to compete with the likes of Google and Apple in the growing smartphones market. Blackberry, once every businessman’s best friend, have lost their reputation for reliability and professisionalism. Gone are the days where a businessman would have a “Blackberry” rather than just a phone. The new CEO will be expected to put in a change of strategy to reverse their fairly rapid decline.

Will he manage it?

What does this mean for the smartphone market?

Please leave us your views below.

I am regularly asked by my colleagues when the iPhone 5 will be released. Traditionally we would have assumed that the next generation iPhone would be released some time in the summer, as it has been in previous years. However this is not the case with the iPhone, 5, or iPhone 4s as it is likely to be known. Due to issues with the White iPhone 4, as well as the recent release of the iPad 2 and iCloud, the next generation iPhone release date has been delayed.

Recent rumours have suggested that we may not even see the iPhone until 2012. However recently many bookmakers have slashed the odds that the iPhone 5 release date will be in September. It is also suspected that the iPhone will return to the curve screen employed in earlier generations.

However everything is mere speculation at the moment, it cannot be too long before Apple make a statement on the matter.

Rumours have been flying around recently in relation to the next generation Apple iPhone. Technology bloggers have previously be assuming the next generation iPhone will be named the iPhone 5. However recent speculation has suggested that it may in fact be called the iPhone 4S. This would lead me to suggest that the improvements upon the previous generation iPhone, the iPhone 4, will only be minor.

So where does that leave us iPhone gamers. Should we wait for the iPhone 4S? Well the iPhone 4S release date is expected to be sometime in October or November. So if you are due an upgrade then I would suggest taking it. We are well aware that the iPhone 4S will feature an improved camera as well as a dual core processor.  The Camera is expected to be upgraded from 5 MP to 8 MP, meanwhile the processor included will be the same as the iPad 2 1-GHz A5 dual core processor. This will improve the quality of the games available, but I would suggest not drastically.

It would not surprise me if Apple released a further iPhone, perhaps this time called the iPhone 5, shortly after the release of the iPhone 4S. The 4S could merely be a stop gap release to appease Apple fans. Apple are well aware what a cash cow the iPhone franchise is, and I just hope they do not rest on their laurels.

Will you wait for the iPhone 4S? Or do you agree with my view to save your hard earned cash and wait for a future release?

Rumours are circulating as to when the iPhone 5 release date will be. Is it worth waiting for the new iPhone which is rumoured to have HD gaming?

Originally we were expecting the iPhone 5 to be released some time in late June, early July. This would have been consistent with Apple’s previous iPhone launches. However the recent release of the white iPhone 4 has led to suggestions that we may not see the iPhone, or iPhone 4GS as it also may be know, until September at the earliest. This is certainly a blow for those who were holding out for the iPhone 5.

The question is, is it worth the wait? We can only know for sure when the iPhone 5 features are announced. It is looking very positive for us gamers. Our wish for Flash support is not expected to be granted, as Apple continues in their believe that Flash is a security risk. What we can certainly expect is a higher resolution screen, hopefully HD. The camera is also expected to be significantly improved once more, rendering the need for a separate camera for anyone other than a keen photographer needless. Rumours are that it may be as powerful as 8 MP. Yet what excites us the most is the new dual core processors that will introduced. They will allow significantly more CPU hungry games to be developed. This can only increase the quality of iPhone games further. Before we know it standalone consoles will be needless. We will be able to plug our iPhone into the TV and use it as a console. Well maybe we can dream….

What are you hoping for in the iPhone 5?

While the mythical white iPhone 4 is great news for holdouts wanting the clean look of the device, others who are waiting for the arrival of the iPhone 5 before making the big switch are less than thrilled. Some have even said that the roll-out of the long delayed white iPhone 4 is just a way for Apple to “appease” a consumer base ready for the next generation device.

“I’m rocking an iPhone 3G and it’s so slow, most of the apps crash and it’s worthless to actually do a search on anything,” says Gene Thompson, an iPhone 5 holdout. “I have an upgrade credit with AT&T but I don’t want to use it on an iPhone 4 and then have Apple announce ‘Hey guys, iPhone 5 is coming out soon.’ That would really piss me off.”

According to tech experts, Apple is expected to make an official announcement on the iPhone 5 in September of this year, just in time for the back to school season. Usually the California-based company rolls out the hardware a few months later. So should consumers expect the device to be made available for Christmas?

“Most likely the iPhone 5 will be available around Thanksgiving, so shoppers know ahead of time that they’ll be getting their loved ones an iPhone 5,” says Hudson analyst Tanya Robinson. “I wouldn’t think that Apple would leave [consumers] hanging.”

That’s good news for Thompson who is ready to chuck his “iBrick” threw a window.

“I feel like I’m paying $30 extra dollars just so I can text and check my email,” he said laughing. “Well, I guess I am.”

Shortly after the release of the iPad 2 in the U.S., knock-offs of the popular tablet began hitting the streets of Beijing promising Chinese consumers the same “Apple experience” that the real deal offers. The exception: the OS, hardware, functionality and just about everything else about the faux-iPad 2.

“The fake iPad 2s in China are nothing like the official iPad 2,” says Hudson analyst Tanya Robinson. “The only similarity is that bootleggers are calling it the ‘iPad 2.’ Some are even running Android or are running an operating system I’ve never heard off. It probably doesn’t make a difference for street shoppers but for somebody actually wanting an iPad 2, they’re going to be really disappointed.”

While most of the forgeries are regulated to inside China, some entrepreneurial bootleggers have turned to the Internet to sale their fake wares. Online shoppers should be careful when shopping around for the best deal. Robinson says that consumers should only purchase expensive electronics from dealers they know and trust.

“If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is so I’d advise shoppers to stick with retailers that are U.S. based, have a return policy and have a name you’ve heard of,” says Robinson. “Even in the States, I’ve heard of people getting scammed with fake iPad 2s. They may only be out $100, but the risk of identity theft is pretty big too. Just use your best judgement.”

One online bargain hunter knows the ramifications of being smitten by great deals only to find one too many charges on their account.

“I bought a Motorola Xoom online from some Chinese outlet and it turned out to be a fake,” says Jean Rollins who saw a banner ad on a popular Android forum. “When the tablet actually got to my door, it was a brand I never heard off and it was slow as hell. I was pissed, but I got even more upset when I saw three other charges; all for a few cents. I knew they were testing the waters to see what they could get away with. I quickly canceled my card.”

According to Morasisu, an online “deal tracker,” the Motorola Xoom has dropped in price to $589.99 on online stores such as Amazon. While tech pundits analyze the dip in price on the Android-based tablet, those looking for an alternative to the iPad 2 may finally get a chance to dip a toe in Google’s pool.

“The Motorola Xoom is now a bit cheaper than the iPad 2,” says Patricia Wise, a longtime Apple user. “I just priced an iPad 2 and it come to around $607 with one of those covers. I may end up returning it, but I may give the Xoom a go. My friends have Xoom, but they’re all anti-Apple zealots. I tried one out and it seems okay. The learning curve looks pretty small on a Android device.”

Other believe the sale on the highly touted tablet computer won’t dent Apple’s reign in the market.

“I think Motorola lowered the price to move product off the shelves at stores like Staples,” says Maria Delacruz while standing in line at Starbucks. “Maybe if they lowered the price to $499, then Apple may go running but not with such a small decrease.”

Amazon, bound under contract with Motorola is listing the Xoom under the agreed upon advertising price. To view the price, customers will need to add the product to the cart.

On the heels of their Droid Charge announcement, Verizon, along with electronics giant HTC have revealed the Droid Incredible 2. The device, running Android’s 2.2 version rather than Gingerbread like on Sprint’s Samsung Nexus 4 phone, will have Flash capability.

The phone can also capture 720p video, has a hotspot function for up to 5 other devices and sports a 4-inch LCD screen.

The Droid Incredible 2 also features two camera –one on the back with 8 megapixels and a front one for video conferencing.

“It’s a ho-hum release,” says industry analyst Mary Coleman. “There isn’t anything special about the device but for entry-level customers who for some reason would rather not have the HTC Thunderbolt, I suppose the Droid Incredible 2 would be fine.”

The device will sell for $199 with a new contract with Verizon.

“Expect the price of the phone to dip in a few months when [Verizon] looks to make room for more popular devices,” says Coleman. “Think Gingerbread phones and maybe even the iPhone 5.”