Five for the weekend: From Nokia Lumia 800 to PlayStation Vita

 

Five for the weekend: From Nokia Lumia 800 to PlayStation Vita

 

The past five days have been some of 2011’s most exciting – both in the gadget and gaming world. New tech, some amazing triple-A games, and a few record-breakers make up this week’s best stories.

Read on for our weekly roundup. Don’t forget to click on the links for the full lowdown.

Nokia Lumia 800 goes on sale
 The long-awaited Nokia Lumia 800 finally went on sale this week. Why the fuss? Well, this isn’t any old Nokia handset – it is the first Nokia phone to sport the Windows Phone 7 operating system, and is possibly the most gorgeous phone we’ve ever laid eyes on. 


PlayStation Vita: Pre-order, get free stuff As the PlayStation Vita release date nears, it’s time to start saving up and get thinking about which games you’re going to purchase come launch day. If you’re thinking about getting hold of one, check this out. Those who pre-order the PSPgo successor will receive a bundle of goodies and gaming discounts. So hop to your nearest participating retail now to see who’s participating. Click on for more details.

Apple replacing faulty iPod Nanos Still got your first-generation iPod Nano? Don’t toss it away just yet. Apple wants to give owners a new one. A battery fault has been discovered by Apple, which Apple believe could potentially pose a safety threat. Better safe than sorry. If you’ve got one, sign up to the iPod Nano Replacement Program. Stat! Click on the link for all the details. 



Google Music: 5 things you need to know Google may already have the world’s most-used search engine, and have plans to take on Facebook, with its own Google+ social network, now the ‘Big G’ wants to take over music. Google Music is a cloud-based music streaming service backed by the music industry’s top dogs, offering millions of songs, the ability to house your albums in the cloud and listen to them offline. It could be big – so hit the link for five things you need to know about the new service.

Modern Warfare 3 launch week the biggest ever in UK Modern Warfare 3 carried on from the groundbreaking success of previous games int he series by breaking more sales records. The game sold a colossal 6.5 million copies in the U.S and UK within 24 hours. Modern Warfare 3 launch week was also the biggest ever week in UK game sales, bringing in over £120 million. That’s some serious moolah.

Sony introduces PlayStation Pass system to its gaming network

It’s been a difficult time for Sony and users of the Sony PlayStation Network recently, but now the service is back online the Japanese company has been looking at ways to change the way online games are played. With an online pass system in the offing, gamers may not be happy with the changes.
We’ve already seen online pass systems implemented by games developers, including EA Sports, but now Sony has introduced its own system – the PlayStation Pass. You’ll basically get a code when you buy a new game – the first to feature PlayStation pass technology being Resistance 3 – unlocking online gaming when you sign into your PlayStation account.

This works well enough when you’re buying a new title, but consumers look likely to get the rough end of the stick when they’re buying second-hand games, as the PlayStation Pass system means a game is only playable with the account it’s activated with.

As such, if you buy second-hand games, it’s looking increasingly likely that you’ll have to buy an additional code if you want to play multi-player games online.
At present, Resistance 3 is the only title to take advantage of the PlayStation Pass, but it seems like only a matter of time before others follow suit.