Apple’s 
latest announcement may have nothing to do with the entertainment industry, but it’s a clear signal that this tech giant is interested in branching out far beyond its current fields of interest.
At a press conference today in New York, the company rolled out a new version of iBooks that is squarely targeted at the educational marketplace – specifically primary and high school.
The iPhone, 
iPad and iPod Touch might have some great gaming experiences, but they’re all fairly sedentary, unless you consider pulling the Angry Bird slingshot a cardio workout (in which case, we salute your level of sluggishness).
A new developer, though, is looking to change those perceptions.
It’s easy to be 
tempted by low prices, especially during the holidays. Often times, deals are so good that you grab an item without thinking it through just so you can check someone off your shopping list.
The problem? Your friend or loved one winds up with a gift that sounds great in theory, but ends up having a shelf life shorter than a piece of bread. It might be good for a day or so, but you’re not going to be real happy with it after that.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a cautionary list of gaming choices that might sound tempting to bargain-hunting shoppers, but may not be the wisest use of your money this year.
For the first time 
since 2004, Apple has fallen short of Wall Street’s earnings expectations.
The company reported earnings of $7.05 per share in its fourth fiscal quarter. While that represented a 54 percent gain in net income, it was still notably less than the $7.39 analysts had expected of the company. Shares fell roughly 6 percent in after-hours trading.
In August, Telltale 
Games saw 15 percent of its monthly revenue come from the sale of iOS games. Last month, that percentage jumped to 30. Gamasutra’s Chris Morris talks to Telltale’s Connors about the tablet revolution.
In August, Telltale Games saw 15 percent of its monthly revenue come from the sale of iOS games. Last month, that percentage jumped to 30.
In fact, year to date, the iPad has been the fastest-growing revenue driver for the episodic game maker. That phenomenal increase came amid an effort to drive new content to the device, but it was also a chance for Apple’s systems to prove themselves as viable income sources.
Following GameStop’s mobile 
device announcements earlier this week, Gamasutra’s Chris Morris discusses the company’s plan to defend itself against the ongoing decline in retail game sales.
It’s no secret that game publishers have spent a lot of time focusing on the growing importance of the mobile space, but things have been a lot quieter on the retail front.
However, GameStop’s pair of announcements Monday sent a clear signal to both gamers and investors that the company was planning to defend itself against the ongoing decline in retail game sales and the changing nature of the gaming market.
Hulu’s list of 
potential problems keep piling up.
As the bidding war for the streaming video service continues between Yahoo, Google, Amazon and Dish, NBC has launched a new app bringing full-length episodes of select shows to the iPad.
GameStop is joining 
the iOS revolution.
The country’s largest video game retailer — and the biggest seller of used games and game hardware — has now started accepting iPods, iPhones and iPads for trade-in for store credit, which can be redeemed for games, hardware, downloadable content and more. The company claims to offer ‘competitive’ trade values on the systems.
Read more at Yahoo! Games
When HP first announced 
the TouchPad, the words “iPad killer” were whispered on a few sites previewing the device. That’s not unusual hyperbole in the tablet world, but HP had integrated Palm’s beloved WebOS onto the system, making it very user friendly.
Today, one month after releasing the TouchPad to retail, Hewlett Packard announced plans to discontinue the device – making it one of the most colossal failures in the tablet space.
Polar Puzzles HD is the latest in a 
growing string of strategy/puzzle games that are hitting Apple’s iDevices in the wake of Angry Birds’ success. It’s not great, but it’s also not bad by any means. The game gives new users a chance to learn the mechanics and offers a wide variety of levels to enjoy (over 75 in the full version — along with unlockable bonus levels). There are also a few fun twists, like using ice holes to navigate and a seal that helps flip your penguin. But even with those there’s a sense of sameness to the game — and the $2.99 price tag feels a bit high.
Chris Morris: Journalist 