AT&T’s takeover of 
T-Mobile has hit a major roadblock as the U.S. government plans to block the merger of the two mobile giants. The Department of Justice today filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, saying the deal violates U.S. antitrust law.
“We are seeking to block this deal in order to maintain a vibrant and competitive market place,” said James Cole, Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice in a press conference.
Plenty of kids 
love playing video games, but Noah Solis is in an entirely different league.
Earlier this month, the pint-sized powerhouse (who goes by the alias “The Prodigy”) attended the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) gaming tournament in Las Vegas, decimating opponents in fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3 en route to placing in the top 48.
There’s not a lot 
that’s especially original about Early Bird, but the game still manages to charm your socks off. Swiping the screen to make your onscreen bird fly, after all, is one of the most common mechanics in the app world, but the attention to detail in the game is worthy of note. The artwork is wonderful and appropriate, the sense of satisfaction you get when your bird lands a perfect bullseye is real and the atmosphere is endearing. It’s also priced at an easily digestible 99 cents, making Early Bird worth a peep … er, peek.
The Full HD 3D Glasses 
Initiative – a joint effort by Samsung, Panasonic and Sony to adopt a new technology standard for active 3D glasses – continues to attract supporters.
Philips, Sharp, TCL and Toshiba have all announced their support for the program, which hopes to eliminate the specialized glasses currently required for each manufacturer’s set.
Reports this week that 
Zynga is holding off on its IPO are not “a sign of weakness or scandal,” according to Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris, who says it’d be reckless to go forward in current market conditions.
When reports crossed the wire Monday that Zynga might push back the launch of its initial public offering, the conspiracy theorists started buzzing. Later word that the SEC might play a role in the delay whipped ’em into a frenzy.
In fact, none of this was a sign of weakness or scandal. It was actually a sign that the folks running the business side of the game maker could a) read tea leaves and b) realize that early, enthusiastic investors might become confused, angry ones if a few things up weren’t cleared up.
We don’t fault peripheral 
manufacturers for trying to make a buck or two off video game consoles. After all, when an industry boasts global annual revenues of $65 billion, there are bound to be some remora.
But some of the add-ons that are available these days are just plain ridiculous, catering to a segment of the gaming world that’s so niche it makes you wonder what the heck these companies were thinking when they green-lighted the production of these mostly useless trinkets.
We’re more than a 
year away from Halo 4 hitting store shelves, but Microsoft is already giving fans a peek behind the curtain on one of the most anticipated upcoming games for the Xbox 360.
At last weekend’s Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Seattle, 343 Industries, which has taken over ownership of the franchise from longtime developer Bungie, dropped a few hints about what we can expect in the game — though the crew certainly left attendees with more questions than answers.
Social network games maker Zynga may postpone its debut on Wall Street, giving the company time to address SEC concerns and ride out the current instability among investors.
The company’s IPO, initially planned for early September, had been looked at as one of the most promising listings of the year, perhaps even moreso than LinkedIn, whose shares more than doubled when they began trading in May.
Plenty of apps are fun, 
but few are truly beautiful. Contre Jour is one of those. From its lush, yet stark, black and white art style to its soothing musical soundtrack, it’s a game you will never get tired of looking at. Fortunately, it’s also an app whose gameplay will keep you hooked. Borrowing from many familiar titles, Contre Jour is another take on physics-based puzzles. But rather than being just another knock-off like so many others, it instead tips its hat to those iPhone legends and extends on their legacy.
Your blob/hero explores a perilous series of worlds, filled with spikes, carnivorous plants, and some endless falls. Some levels are easy, but some are nail-biters (any one can be skipped, though, if it proves too challenging). It’s a game best played on the iPad, if you have that option, given the occasional need to use multitouch, but that’s nitpicking. This is an app that could quickly become another must-have for all iDevice owners.
When the first Forza 
game hit shelves in 2005, you could whip around the tracks in a Porsche. In 2007, when the sequel was released, you could, too. Ditto the 2009 installment.
But when Forza 4 comes out this October, the well-known German sports car won’t be in your garage. And you won’t believe the reason why.
Chris Morris: Journalist 