Samsung Introduces the Galaxy S3 Mini

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is among the best Android phones available now. But while it's not quite as gargantuan as Samsung's Galaxy Note, it's still pretty big.

If you want a more compact phone with comparable performance, you're pretty much stuck with the iPhone 5. And as Samsung said itself in a press release, a "compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen … can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones."

So we were stoked to hear the rumors that Samsung might unveil a Galaxy S3 mini - the same killer phone in a 4-inch package. And then they did! Except not.

The S3 mini has the same name and general design profile (which we didn't exactly love the first time around) as its big brother. And it gets the perks of Samsung's TouchWiz UI overlay for Android Jelly Bean.

But the similarities (and virtues) pretty much end there. That 4-inch screen has a disappointing resolution of 800 x 400, giving it a pixel density of 233 ppi (down from 306). The mini's dual-core processor is clocked at decidedly average 1GHz (down from 1.5). It's got 1GB of RAM (down from 2) a 5MP camera (down from 8) and a 1500mAh battery (down from 2100).

You might be thinking Samsung is just strategically branding a mediocre phone to ride their immensely successful flagship's wave of success. Well, you might be right.

No word yet on pricing or the chance of US availability. But is that even disappointing? Let us know in the comments.

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN. 

Source : ign[dot]com

Samsung Introduces the Galaxy S3 Mini

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is among the best Android phones available now. But while it's not quite as gargantuan as Samsung's Galaxy Note, it's still pretty big.

If you want a more compact phone with comparable performance, you're pretty much stuck with the iPhone 5. And as Samsung said itself in a press release, a "compact smartphone with a 4.0-inch screen … can be an optimal choice for consumers who are looking for more practical smartphones."

So we were stoked to hear the rumors that Samsung might unveil a Galaxy S3 mini - the same killer phone in a 4-inch package. And then they did! Except not.

The S3 mini has the same name and general design profile (which we didn't exactly love the first time around) as its big brother. And it gets the perks of Samsung's TouchWiz UI overlay for Android Jelly Bean.

But the similarities (and virtues) pretty much end there. That 4-inch screen has a disappointing resolution of 800 x 400, giving it a pixel density of 233 ppi (down from 306). The mini's dual-core processor is clocked at decidedly average 1GHz (down from 1.5). It's got 1GB of RAM (down from 2) a 5MP camera (down from 8) and a 1500mAh battery (down from 2100).

You might be thinking Samsung is just strategically branding a mediocre phone to ride their immensely successful flagship's wave of success. Well, you might be right.

No word yet on pricing or the chance of US availability. But is that even disappointing? Let us know in the comments.

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN. 

Source : ign[dot]com

Guardians of the Galaxy Gets a Rewrite

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is getting a rewrite by scripter Chris McCoy.

According to Heat Vision, McCoy doesn't have any produced credits in Hollywood yet but he is one of those hot up-and-comers -- he's had three spec scripts wind up on the famed Black List, the annual collection of the "best" unproduced scripts in town.

According to HV, McCoy's scripts have been praised "for their quirky comedic bent." Which, let's face it, sounds just about right for a film that's gonna feature a tree man, a green warrior dude and a talking, gun-toting raccoon.

Nicole Perlman wrote the first draft of the screenplay.

Talk to Movies Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN and on Facebook.

Source : ign[dot]com

Thanos: Son of Titan Canceled

After his appearance in The Avengers and with the reveal of Guardians of the Galaxy being the next Marvel film in the works, Thanos has made an aggressive resurgence in the pages of Marvel Comics. In fact, just earlier this month Marvel made a big to-do about a new series called Thanos: Son of Titan, a five-issue mini-series by Joe Keatinge and Rich Elson that was set to explore the character's origin. I say "was," because as revealed in a Marvel retailer update, the series has been scrapped.

Appearing in this month's Previews catalogue, the Marvel Mailer update to comic shops read, "*THANOS SON OF TITAN #1 (OF 5) & VAR (AUG120580-1, $2.99, FOC 09/24/12) has been canceled." Sometimes this happens and the book is simply resolicited for a later date, but that isn't the case here.

I reached out to Marvel and they confirmed the cancellation but declined to comment further. It's strange to be sure, as this was a series Marvel pushed pretty hard, including a debut in USA Today and lots of buzz at Comic-Con a few weeks ago.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : ign[dot]com