iPhone 5

Given the pattern of iPhone launches, we're expecting the next-gen iPhone 5 to debut in mid to late 2012. We reckon it's most likely to be shown off at Apple's Worldwide Developer Event (WWDC), which usually takes place in early June. Rumors reported on 18 October claim an iPhone 5 release date of summer 2012. 

iPhone 5 Form Factor

Unlike the iPhone 4S, it'll be a completely new design from what has gone before, so that means an entirely new casing as we saw with the iPhone 3Gand, later, the iPhone 4. Interestingly, someone who claimed to have seen a larger-screened iPhone 5 prototype said in November 2011 that Steve Jobs canned the new handset and opted for the iPhone 4S because of the larger screen size of the new device. According to Business Insider, it was feared that a new size would create a two-tier iPhone ecosystem.

Beatweek also claimed in November 2011 that the 5-inch was scrapped "because Apple wouldn't be able to do it properly" this year. However, theDaily Mail (make of that what you will) then suggested that a four-inch version was likely and that Sony has already shipped top secret demo screens to Apple.

iPhone 5 Specs

Based on the roadmap of mobile chip design specialist ARM (of which Apple is a licensee), we'll see a quad-core processor debut in the iPhone 5 - probably called the Apple A6. We know that we'll see other quad core handsets debut in 2012, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that the iPhone 5 will be the same.

iPhone 5 Will Have 4G/LTE Support

With many 4G handsets already announced in the US, it can't be long before the iPhone supports 4G technologies - even if we won't even have a UK spectrum auction until 2012.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx

 

The good: Despite a beefed-up battery, the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx is crafted in a very slim and attractive design that's built to withstand the occasional drop, scratch, and liquid spill. It has the same gorgeous 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and fast Verizon 4G/LTE data as its predecessor while retaining powerful multimedia chops and tight security features.

The bad: For such an advanced smartphone, the vague promise of a future Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is disappointing. Also, while having a bigger, stronger battery is great, it's still not user-removable. Small hands will also find it hard to wrap around the phone's wide frame, and the onboard 8-megapixel camera is not impressive.

The bottom line: The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx proves that a powerful Android superphone can remain thin yet still promise marathon-worthy battery life. If you can live without Ice Cream Sandwich and have big hands, the Maxx is extremely compelling.

NAO Invitationals

For those of you who missed the NAO Invitationals, here's a recap of what the tournament looked like.

Dates:
The Qualifiers:
January 27th and 28th 7-11pm EST
February 3rd and 4th 7-11pm EST

The Tournament:
February 17th, 18th and 19th

Bracket:
Qualifier Bracket
Main Tournament: Group A Round Robin
Main Tournament: Group B Round Robin
Main Tournament: Finals (Single Elimination)
For more info and updates please check out Arena Junkies 

Schedule for Feb 19th:

5:00 - Ankit Gaming vs XMAS no presents GG 
5:45 - ed edd and eddie vs Spicy Chicken Cleave 
6:30 - Spicy Chicken Cleave vs easy gaming
7:15 - Spicy Chicken Cleave vs Team EG
8:00 - XMAS no presents GG vs Team EG - Group B Ends
8:45 - Semi1
9:30 - Semi2
10:15 - 3rd place
11:00 - Finals Bo7 

Format:

Qualifiers: Double Elimination
Tournament: Round Robin


I have to say, the tournament was very exciting. I really enjoyed each and every round despite the bad ending the tournament had due to players from both teams, Team EG and Keep It Rollin, having lag and disconnect issues. After some investigation, it seems that both teams were a victim of ddosing. For those of you who don't know what ddosing is, see below.

DDosing Its when some one attacks a specific IP Address in many cases sending a lot of large packets at once so that the IP Address can not handle all the incoming requests and crashes.

It was sad to have the tournament come to a stop because of this. I'm sure many World of Warcraft fans were very disappointed to have the tournament come to a halt. Everyone was really excited to see which of the two teams would have come out the victor. Per NAO, the remainder of the tournament will be held offline to prevent any further issues from happening like today. Stayed tuned, the winner of the 2012 NAO Invitationals will be announced via forums some time soon. Check out http://www.arenajunkies.com/ for more information.