Gaming guru Shigeru Miyamoto has discussed the new open world dynamic of the new Zelda title for Wii U…just don’t go calling it ‘open world’ in front of him!

We’ve come to know that the upcoming Legend of Zelda for Wii U will bring something of an ‘open world’ experience to the legendary franchise, though it’s come to pass that the game’s creator isn’t won over by this particular label. Shigeru Miyamoto’s recent comments on the title didn’t spill any great beans, but he did at least talk about the way in which the game’s structure will differ from that of prior installments.

“This term means that there is a large world in which players can do numerous things daily,” said the gaming guru at the 74th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

“In the traditional “The Legend of Zelda” series, the player would play one dungeon at a time. For example, if there are eight dungeons, at the fourth dungeon, some players may think, “I’m already halfway through the game,” while other players may think, “I still have half of the game to play.” We are trying to gradually break down such mechanism and develop a game style in which you can enjoy “The Legend of Zelda” freely in a vast world, whenever you find the time to do so.”

He also referenced Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, suggesting that the title marked a crucial evolutionary checkpoint between previous Zelda titles and what’s to come with the Wii U version.

“We created the games in the traditional “The Legend of Zelda” series in steps that players could easily understand and follow; the player would obtain a new item in each dungeon, use the item to clear that dungeon and be able to enjoy applying the items in different ways after acquiring about eight items,”

“However, in “The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds,” we broke that down and let the player rent different items from the beginning, so the player could use different combinations of items. In this way, we are gradually changing the structure of “The Legend of Zelda” series, and we are preparing to newly evolve the series for Wii U.”

It’s once again being suggested that the once-shelved Microsoft Surface Mini is on the cards for a 2014 launch, though could be the first of its kind to be rebranded as a Lumia slate.

There are some gadget rumors that just won’t give up and play dead, no matter how many times they’re panned by realists. A case in point example would be the Microsoft Surface Mini tablet, which despite apparently having been killed off, boxed and buried shortly before its intended launch earlier this year will apparently be coming back from the dead to surprise us all.

What became clear back in May was that for one reason or another, Redmond decided it wasn’t the right time to out the Surface Mini. Well, either that or they didn’t think the Surface Mini they’d come up with at the time would cut the mustard – whatever the reason, it didn’t show up to its own launch part. And the fact that they’d labeled the meeting itself a “Small Gathering” made it pretty darn clear what was at least supposed to take center stage.

Why was it binned at the eleventh hour? Well, some insist it all came down to a case of simple competition and congestion. Microsoft’s insistence on taking so long to get the Mini ready for its rollout resulted in thousands of rival Windows slates with smaller screens and tiny price tags emerging, thus nudging the Mini out of the market before it even got off the ground.

Others however suggested the device would be held back until the touch-optimized Windows tab version of MS Office was prepped and ready to go, which even now is still anyone’s guess. Mary Jo Foley warned not to expect the software until next year, by which time the Surface Mini will of course take the term ‘old news’ to a whole new level.

Or perhaps not, as word is making its way through the grapevine that Redmond is planning to get its mini-tab on the market long before the end of the summer. What’s more, in order to cope with the strength of the competition already doing the rounds, reports suggest it’s been beefed-up in a big way and the original price-tag slashed quite generously.

Meanwhile, it is also being reported that there will in fact be no more devices put out by Microsoft carrying the Surface branding – they’ll instead be porting the Lumia moniker onto what comes next.

Of course, with no official word from the horse’s mouth it’s a good idea to keep a grain or two of salt on standby…at least for the time being.

A new flagship Smartphone cold be joining Microsoft’s Surface hardware lineup before the end of the year – the unannounced McLaren handset with unique 3D UI.

Rumors of a Microsoft Surface Phone have been doing the rounds ever since Redmond first announced its plans to get into the tablet PC game all those years ago. With a world of Windows PCs and a fair few million Windows slates doing the rounds, it seemed only logical that the next step forward would be a Smartphone to tie up the Microsoft ecosystem.

The fact that we’re still talking figuratively several years later proves just how far off the mark we all were at the time, but the idea of a Microsoft flagship phone is once again being floated this very week.

It’s once again the folks from the Chinese media we have to thank for the tip-off, which in this case refers to the so-called McLaren Smartphone built by Microsoft in conjunction with Nokia. Having taken over the handset business of the Finnish firm in a quite colossal acquisition, Redmond now has more than enough firepower to make the Surface Phone happen…even though it will most likely go by a very different name.

The latest reports on the subject speak of a seriously high-end piece of kit, which could be the first of its kind to feature a ‘3D Touch’ interface. Roughly translated, by using a series of sensors it would be possible for the device to read and interpret a variety of three-dimensional gestures made by its respective user, without them having to make physical contact with the touchscreen.

In addition to the unique UI, the McLaren is also tipped to boast 1080p HD resolution, a screen size of around 5.2-inches and 64GB of onboard storage as standard.

Redmond continues its refusal to answer direct questions on any of its future hardware releases including the Surface Phone, though analysts expect to see the device before the end of the year.

One of the industry’s leading analysts has suggested that Apple has encountered one or two setback in assembling the iWatch, forcing him to slash shipping estimates by 40%.

The general consensus has always been that because the iWatch will be something of an add-on to be used with a primary iOS device, it would launch side-by-side with the iPhone 6. Each product would represent something of a key driver of sales for its counterpart, while to pack the two in some kind of bundle would undoubtedly trigger an enormous sales frenzy for Apple.

However, it’s now being suggested that the Cupertino company’s first ever wearable could in fact be held back until November. And it’s not just any random individual adding their two-cents to the affair either – Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has warned investors and consumers alike not to expect the device until the tail-end of November.

According to Kuo, the reason for the delay is one of ongoing problems with getting the hardware and the software to work together as necessary. Whatever the holdup though, such a setback in the rollout of the iWatch could be quite catastrophic for early sales of the device – this particular analyst having reduced his 2014 shipping estimate by 40% to just 3 million.

Of course, it’s not as if Apple is 100% dependent on the iWatch to enjoy a stellar holiday season and closing quarter for the year. With the likes of the iPhone 6 and the iPad Air 2 on the cards among other devices, it’s largely a dead-cert that Cook and Co. will be laughing all the way to the bank. However, the longer it takes to get the iWatch to the market, the more headway rival devices from the Android side of the fence will be able to make and inevitably nibble away at their own potential sales.

One device of particular concern for Apple could be the first Microsoft Smartwatch, which according to ongoing reports will be the first of its kind to support Windows Phone, Android and iOS. With a release date tipped to take place sometime in the early fall, the Microsoft wearable could deliver a hammer blow to Apple’s iWatch if it brings the right recipe to the table.

With an ultra-enhanced new-generation version of GTA 5 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on the horizon, bragging rights will soon be passed to a whole different bunch of gamers.

Brace for impact – GTA 5 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One could all be heading for the exact same release date in mid-November. Not that Rockstar Games has yet bothered to share the specifics with anyone, but that hasn’t stopped at least one retailer from spilling their beans on their behalf.

In the few minutes the smoking gun was still smoking, thousands of beady-eyed watchers noted that Coolshop had listed all three ports of GTA 5 for the same November 14 launch. This would have been for the European launch and would take place on a Friday in mid-November – all of which adds up to the majority of leaks and tip-offs to date.

Of course, just as soon as word got out about the sighting it suddenly disappeared from view – the same listing now has December 31 as the date for GTA 5’s second coming, which of course isn’t going to happen.

Judging by the trailers and snapshots that have been published to date however, it will be well worth the wait. Gamers favoring Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of GTA 5 have been smugly lording it over their next-gen counterparts for almost a year now, but pretty soon the tables will turn. For PC, Xbox One and PS4, every single texture in the game has apparently been enriched and sharpened to a mind-blowing extent.

Or in other words, if you though the GTA 5 we’re already playing with was something, you’re in for a shock!

Cook and Co. may be given a serious run for their money this year as Google’s Nexus 6 shapes up to be a serious contender.

Ask the average observer and chances are they’ll tell you that the only Smartphone launch of any real relevance this September will be that of the iPhone 6. The reason being that there isn’t a device on the face of the Earth that generates the same kind of hype and sells by the boatload for simple bragging rights alone.

Not that every iPhone to date hasn’t proved its worth substance-wise, but slap the Apple badge on anything and you know you’re onto a winner…even an iToilet would work.

However, this year it’s looking increasingly likely that Apple’s fall hero will have its work cut out in making a name for itself like never before, thanks in no small part to the folks at Mountain View. Evidence continues to gather suggesting that the Google Nexus 6 is on-track for a September launch, perhaps perfectly times to do the unmentionable all over Apple’s barbecue.

There’s also the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and its IFA launch to contend with, but that’s more a problem for the iPhone Air.

It was made pretty be execs back in March that LG would not in fact be the brains behind the brawn this time around. Well, either that or they’d decided it best to lie through their teeth.

“Normally, we were informed. Either I got ignored, or we simply won’t be making it,” said Ken Hong, LG’s Director of Communications.

As such, all eyes are now focused on HTC to come up with the goods, triggering a series of concept renderings that combine the design language of the flagship One with a few unique Nexus-esque traits.

Can anything rival the might of the iPhone 6? Apparently so – the Nexus 6 is tipped to be fitted with a 5.5-inch QHD touchscreen (2,560 x 1,440) which may or may not be curved, a MediaTek 64-bit processor does its business under the hood with the help of 3GB of RAM, there’s a 20-megapixel camera to the rear and a 5-megapixel shooter to the front for enhanced selfies.

Topped off with full waterproofing and a fingers security scanner not dissimilar to the famed Touch ID of Apple, chances are we’ll be looking at a race that’s more closely run than ever before.

A fresh sighting of what could be the Google Nexus 8 or 9 tablet PC has tipped an impressively low price tag of under $250.

It’s still painfully unclear as to whether we’ll be seeing a new Nexus 8 or Nexus 9 tablet from Google later this year – the world’s tipsters being split right down the middle. However, whichever of the two turns out to be the real deal, buyers could be looking at an off-contract purchase price of no more than about $249, if the latest leaks are anything to go off.

According to the folks at BGR, a shipping manifest was somehow stumbled upon which listed an apparent Nexus 8 prototype with a value of just over $249. The sighting backs prior reports that Google is once again looking to deliver an exceptionally powerful tablet PC for the lowest possible price, though it’s unlikely that $249 or thereabouts would stretch to the 2K QHD touchscreen some analysts expect the Nexus 8/9 to feature.

A National Geographic competition has illustrated in stunning detail how increasingly affordable drones can be used to create spectacular images previously impossible to capture.

The future for photographers and film makers alike has never been brighter, thanks in no small part to the (literal) take-off of cheap drone technology. With the addition of super lightweight cameras of the highest quality, these amateur flying machines are being used all over the world to take the kind of snapshots never before seen by human eyes.

In order to highlight the potential of drone photography, National Geographic put together a competition to see what the most talented aerial photographers could come up with. And to say the results were breath-taking would be something of an understatement.

The picture seen here was the undisputed winner of the contest – a unique snapshot taken over a National Park in Indonesia capturing an eagle in flight. Additional examples of what professionals and the public have so far come up with can be seen at Dronestagram.

According to Eric Dupin, the founder of the website, photography is being revolutionized by the use of what are fast becoming simple and widely available aerial drones.

“It depicts a new vision of the world, with stunning images taken from low altitude, near field,” said Dupin.

“It is so different of images taken by satellite or plane or helicopter, or, on the other end, street view images,”

“It represents an ‘intermediary layer’.”

Can you think of anything more hideous that being medically allergic to your Smartphone or tablet PC? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you very well might be!

For plenty of people, the idea of being away from the Smartphones or tablets for five-seconds is enough to give them hives. Well, that or a blind panic attack of epic proportions.

But here’s the thing – if you’re among a growing number of individuals blighted by skin complaints with no apparent cause to be found, there’s a chance you might actually be allergic to your iPad!

Why the iPad in particular? Well, it’s been reported that the world’s most famous and best-selling tablet PC could be built with a lavish dose of nickel, which just so happens to top the table of metals that are likely to cause an allergic reaction. Not that it’s only the iPad that features nickel in its composition, but a recent cases wherein a kid from San Diego ended up in hospital with a skin rash brought to light Apple’s fondleslab as a potential offender.

Nickel rashes have a tendency to be extremely itchy and uncomfortable, often crossing the line into downright painful once you’ve scratched the living daylights out of them. So while not dangerous at least in the traditional sense, they are always best-avoided and should be given due attention when and where they present.

As for the solution? Well, shy of only every using mobile devices with gloves on or with some kind of protective shell around the thing, it might be a case of opting for something from another brand less likely to load their gadgets with nickel.