7 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Release Date Predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date has cleared its final hurdle in the United States with all five Galaxy Note 3 devices passing through the FCC’s clutches on the way to their respective carriers. With some information still missing and a Galaxy Note 3 release date incoming, it’s time to make some predictions regarding its upcoming release.

Earlier this month, in Berlin, Germany, Samsung took the stage to announce the Galaxy Note 3, its Galaxy Note 2 successor, which will be hitting more than 140 countries on September 25th and will be hitting the United States and Japan in October.

Unlike past Samsung launches where there wasn’t any release date information to be had, the Galaxy Note 3 release date in the United States emerged for several carriers shortly after the device and its new screen, processor, S Pen, design and software were announced. In fact, we saw the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 become one of the first devices with specific release date information, something that didn’t happen with the Galaxy Note 2 or the Galaxy S4.

The Samsung Galaxy Not 3 arrives in October.

In fact, the Galaxy Note 3 release in the U.S. feels like an episode out of the Twilight Zone. While AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made their plans known, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, who have typically been first to announce information, remain silent about official details. And with October approaching quickly, prospective Galaxy Note 3 buyers are looking for answers.

We don’t have any official answers from Sprint and U.S. Cellular just yet but we do know that their Galaxy Note 3 models will be coming soon, thanks to FCC filings that emerged just yesterday, a final hurdle that smartphones need to pass before they hit shelves.

On the heels of that news, and with October in focus, it’s time to make some bold predictions about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date in the United States.

Galaxy Note 3 Orders Will Arrive Early

The first Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date belongs to AT&T which will be releasing the Galaxy Note 3 on October 1st, a day ahead of T-Mobile and more than a week ahead of the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 October 10th ship by date. We expect that the AT&T Galaxy Note 3 will be the first Galaxy Note 3 that lands in consumer hands and we expect that some orders will arrive early, possibly in September.

Expect the Galaxy Note 3 to arrive early for those that pre-ordered.

In the past, we’ve seen carriers ship out pre-orders early, with those orders arriving a day or two ahead of the official release date. Whether that’s a thank you to those that ordered early or not isn’t clear but what’s clear is that it has happened. The Galaxy Note 3 isn’t expected to have supply issues, thanks to Samsung’s fantastic supply chain, and thus, we don’t expect a sell out. So, we expect AT&T to deliver it, at the very least, on or around October 1st.

Will this happen at every carrier? It’s hard to say, but we wouldn’t be surprised if other carriers got their Galaxy Note 3′s out before their announced release dates to appease consumers and get the ball rolling.

Ample Supply

Yes, we expect that there will be ample Samsung Galaxy Note 3 stock available on release date. For one, this is a niche device with its massive 5.7-inch display and S Pen stylus which push the price to $299.99, far more expensive than an average smartphone. The iPhone 5S this is not, so we don’t expect to see overwhelming demand.

Speaking of the Galaxy S4, we saw Samsung do a great job of keeping the device in stock across all carriers, even with it in hefty demand. As we’ve pointed out, Samsung has talked about how its plastic designs, the Galaxy Note 3 features a plastic faux leather back, enable it to keep devices in supply even when there is a ton of demand.

The company learned its lesson with the Galaxy S3 launch and we haven’t seen major supply issues plague a flagship in the U.S. since. The Galaxy Note 3 isn’t sold out yet during the pre-order process and we don’t expect that to change.

We expect just about everyone to be able to walk into a store on release day and buy this phone.

Sprint Galaxy Note 3 Release Date

Oddly enough, the Sprint Galaxy Note 3 is still without an official release date. Sprint, in the past, has been quick to announce details for its Galaxy devices but for whatever reason, it has been slow to the trigger with the Galaxy Note 3 release date.

Officially, the carrier says that it will be coming this fall. Fall officially begins on September 22nd and ends on December 20th giving Sprint a wide window to release the Galaxy Note 3. However, we think that the carrier will be releasing the phablet in early-to-mid October just like its competitors.

When exactly, isn’t clear. We think early-to-mid October though.

For one, Sprint needs all of the help it can get. The carrier remains the only major U.S. carrier that offers true unlimited data to new customers but competition is fierce. Sprint’s 4G LTE network is still dwarfed by those of AT&T and Verizon and T-Mobile and its new off-contract data plans and new LTE network have made it a major player.

In other words, Sprint needs to get the top devices out before or around the same time its competitors do in order to compete. It loses customers if it launches late.

With the device now past the FCC, we think it’s only a matter of time before Sprint makes its plans known.

U.S. Cellular Galaxy Note 3 Release Date

Same goes for the U.S. Cellular Galaxy Note 3. The point of carrying a big time phone like the Galaxy Note 3 is to attract customers to your network. U.S. Cellular remains firmly planted in as the nation’s fifth largest carrier and with a growing LTE network, like Sprint, it wants to make some headway with consumers.

Offering the Galaxy Note 3 up on a reasonable date goes hand-in-hand with this so we expect the company to get the device out in early-to-mid October as well. Officially the carrier tells us that it will be out in October though it doesn’t specify a date.

Look for it to arrive in and around the dates for other carriers so that it can stay competitive.

Immediate Galaxy Note 3 Deals

Competition is going to be fierce this year. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C arrive September 20th. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is expected to arrive this month. The HTC One max is getting closer. And the Nexus 5 will more than likely arrive at some point in mid-to-late October. In other words, the Galaxy Note 3 is not only dealing with other big name smartphones, its release is also going to be sandwiched by the iPhone and the Nexus 5.

What this means is that we should get a healthy dose of Galaxy Note 3 deals when it’s released as retailers look to lure in consumers looking for instant gratification. Last year, we saw immediate Galaxy Note 2 deals, we even saw the device slashed down to $199.99 as early as December. And while we don’t while we don’t expect places like Amazon to offer deals that low right off the bat, we could see $50 discounts on day one.

There will be Galaxy Note 3 deals and that’s something that Galaxy Note 3 buyers need to keep in mind on the road to the Galaxy Note 3 release date in the U.S.

Lots of Galaxy Note 3 Accessories

At the Galaxy Note 3 launch event, Samsung detailed Galaxy Note 3 accessories including the S-View cover that will be a tempting purchase for those toting a Galaxy Note 3. Samsung has a penchant for launching its accessories after a release date so we can’t be sure if the S-View cover will be available on day one in the U.S.

Accessories will likely be widely available for the Galaxy Note 3.

However, we do think that there will be a bunch of Galaxy Note 3 accessories available right off the bat. For instance, Spigen says that its accessories will be coming soon. And we have a feeling that Otterbox is going to have some cases available as well, perhaps right from the start. There will also likely be some other less-known accessory options available right from the get-go as well.

Galaxy Gear Will Be Hard to Find

Finally, we think that the Galaxy Gear may be a little difficult to find on the Galaxy Note 3 release date. First of all, we haven’t seen every single carrier announce availability yet. In addition, Verizon isn’t selling the Galaxy Gear without a Galaxy Note 3 included. And finally, we haven’t seen carriers offering up the orange Galaxy Gear, just the white and black.

Don’t expect to find the Galaxy Gear that you want on release day.

We think some carriers will have it available on release day but there will likely be others, AT&T perhaps, that launch it after the Galaxy Note 3 arrives. And those looking to snag colorful versions of the Galaxy Gear may have to go through a retailer to get one as there aren’t any signs of release day availability, even at the carriers offering up the watch.

Sprint iPhone 5s Promotion Gives You $100 Off If You Switch

Apple will begin selling the iPhone 5s starting on September 20, as will all of the major carriers in the US, including Sprint. However, it seems that the carrier is a bit desperate to get more customers, as they’re going to be selling the iPhone 5s starting at $99 for those who switch to Sprint from another carrier.

It’s also doing the same thing for the iPhone 5c. Users will be able to get the iPhone 5c for free if they’re going for the 16GB model, with the 32GB model costing $99. It’s certainly an intriguing offer, and if you have any interest in bailing on your current carrier and joining Sprint, now is the time to do it if you want to save a little bit of cash.

However, if you’re really only intrigued by the promotion, but aren’t sure if you should leave your current carrier, it’s important to note that the money you’ll be saving from this promotion will essentially be pocket change compared to how much you’ll spend over the course of two years with the contract, so don’t see the promotion as the only reason you should switch over, but if you’ve been thinking about switching to Sprint anyway, then it’s your lucky day.

Also take into consideration Sprint’s coverage. The carrier’s LTE coverage is in most big cities in the US, but it hasn’t reached the scale of Verizon’s or AT&T’s LTE network just yet, so if you live out in a slightly rural area, don’t count on getting Sprint LTE right when you switch over.

Then again, you will get Sprint’s Unlimited plan, which touts unlimited everything, including data. All the other carriers have done away with unlimited data, which makes Sprint the only carrier left to offer it. For a lot of users, that’s a huge reason why they might want to switch to Sprint.

Overall, though, this is the first big discount that we’ve seen of the iPhone 5s. Walmart cut prices of the new phone by $10, but this is the first time that we’re seeing the flagship device see a $100 price drop before it’s even released. It seems carriers and retailers are having a price war on the iPhone 5s, but who will be the winner? The customers, of course.

How to Get the iPhone 5S on September 20th

With the important iPhone 5S release details now known, those looking to buy the iPhone 5S on its September 20th release date are making their final preparations. Many of those buyers are likely planning to buy the iPhone 5S on release day and if that’s the case, we have some helpful tips that should make the experience a successful one.

Earlier this week, Apple took the stage and announce two brand new iPhones that will be coming out later this month. The iPhone 5C, which just went up for pre-order today, will be joined by the iPhone 5S, the true successor to the iPhone 5. Those devices will push out the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4, meaning Apple’s lineup come September 20th will be the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and iPhone 4S.

At the time, the company did not announce iPhone 5S pre-orders, something that was a bit shocking considering they had been a staple of the past. Last year, Apple offered up the iPhone 5 about a week ahead of its release date, offering those who wanted the device on its release date a chance to make that happen.

The iPhone 5S will go up for order at midnight, September 20th.

This time around, there are no official pre-orders for the iPhone 5S, only some flimsy reservations that are being taken at places like RadioShack, Target, Walmart. Apple and its carriers are not taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5S.

Apple also didn’t specify when the iPhone 5S would go on sale on September 20th. It said that Apple Stores would open early at 8AM but did not say when the device would appear online. Today, it answered that final question.

The iPhone 5S will go on sale at 12AM PST on September 20th, meaning, 3AM EST and 2AM CST. This is not surprising given that this is how past iPhone launches have played out.

Those who have stayed up late to order an iPhone know that getting a new iPhone on release day isn’t easy. Last year, we saw the iPhone 5 sell out within hours of going on sale and while the iPhone 5C still hasn’t sold out, we expect the iPhone 5S to be in high demand come September 20th.

Ahead of September 20th, we wanted to share some tips that we’ve learned over the years, tips that should help to make the iPhone 5S order process next week be a fairly smooth one.

Be Ready to Go

Simply put, those looking to get the iPhone 5S on September 20th are going to have to be willing to wait up until pre-orders start in order to secure an iPhone 5S. There is no telling if there will be a sell out, or how fast the iPhone 5S will sell out if there is one, but those who want to ensure one on day one need to brave the night just to be safe.

Many who didn’t stay up late for the iPhone 5 didn’t get an iPhone 5.

Last year, the iPhone 5 went on sale promptly and millions of people were able to place an order in the hours after it went on sale. However, once the morning arrived, the iPhone 5 was gone and shipping times didn’t return to normal for quite some time. Many of those who pre-ordered on day one saw their iPhone 5 arrive way past September 21st.

Those looking to get the iPhone 5S as soon as possible won’t want to risk it. So, buy a palette of energy drinks, a couple pounds of coffee, whatever it takes to stay up until pre-orders begin.

Anticipate Site Issues

The iPhone 5C pre-order didn’t have the site issues that iPhone pre-orderers are accustomed to. However, don’t expect the demand for the iPhone 5C to be the same as the demand for the iPhone 5S.

There will be more people looking to buy Apple’s top-shelf iPhone. And in the past, thanks to those numbers, we’ve seen carriers sites and Apple’s site crumble under the pressure.

So, on top of being online right at midnight or 3AM or whatever, iPhone buyers who are looking to get an iPhone 5S on day one need to anticipate site issues. With that in mind, there are a few things buyers can do.

Expect site issues when orders first become available.

One, be patient. Things might not load extremely fast, but that doesn’t mean that pre-orders are going to sell out. It typically takes a few hours for that to happen. So stay calm. And two, we recommend taking a tour of the site ahead of time so that if and when site issues do occur, buyers will know exactly what to do, something that will speed up the process.

Those who are truly crazy about getting an iPhone 5S as soon as possible may even want to fire up a separate laptop, computer or iPad to act as an secondary device. Last year, when buying the iPad 3, our MacBook wasn’t able to get through. However, for whatever reason, our iPad 2 was able to get in to pre-order. Something to consider for those that have multiple devices.

Have Your Account Information Ready

There are several other steps that Users will want to take in order to ensure a swift ordering iPhone 5S process. on release day.

One of those things is having account information ready ahead of time. What we mean by that is, have an Apple ID ready if ordering through Apple, have the last four digits of the primary account holders social security number

Have all pertinent account details on hand.

Having these things readily available will ensure a smooth ordering process so track them down well in advance. Those who are scrambling to find them once orders start will likely incur a massive headache and unnecessary stress.

Make Sure You Can Log In Ahead of Time

We also highly recommend that iPhone 5 buyers log into their accounts ahead of time. That means, track down log in information, make sure that everything works, and make sure that that phone upgrade that was supposed to be available around this time is, in fact, available.

At this point, whilst logged in, users can browse the different data plans, check usage to see just how much data might be needed, effectively compare costs to other carriers ahead of the ordering process and so on.

Most importantly though, make sure that the log in works. It’s not going to feel good if pre-orders begin and the password that worked a month ago suddenly isn’t working.

Keep Your iPhone 5S Options Open

There is a very good chance that we’ll see the iPhone 5S sell out on day one. Even if it doesn’t completely sell out, there is a one hundred and ten percent chance that at least one model will completely sell out. For instance, we typically see the 16GB models go first. That said, iPhone buyers will want to keep their options open if they’re looking to snag one on day one.

You may not get your first choice so keep your iPhone 5S options open.

Put some extra cash away right now in order to buy a larger storage variant should the 16GB model sell out immediately. Having extra space isn’t a bad thing, it’s just going to be a matter of fitting it into the budget.

It’s also possible that the 32GB model could sell out first given how big app sizes are these days. If that’s the case, be open to buying a 16GB or 64GB model because those might just be the only devices available when it’s time to order.

Can’t Stay Up? Head to a Store

Those that simply can’t stay up to order early in the morning on September 20th, but still want to buy an iPhone 5S on September 20th, will need to head down to a physical retail location. There is a slim chance that we could see stock emerge from the smoke in the morning but again, those chances are slim.

Instead, particularly for those that are on east coast time, it’s probably worth just waking up a bit earlier than normal and heading down to a physical retail location to try and pick one up before work or class.

Lines for the T-Mobile iPhone 5 in New York City on launch day.

Apple Stores will be opening early at 8AM to cater to those that want to get the device early and we expect carrier stores to open early as well. And we highly recommend showing up well before that.

Last year, in a small town in Ohio, there were people who lined up 10 hours in advance to snag the iPhone 5. This is going to be the case at many, if not most retail locations. So unless heading down to the store when pre-orders start sounds like a good idea, try heading down to a store about three hours ahead of time.

For most people, this will ensure a great spot in line, and it should net an iPhone 5S on release day.

Avoid Flagship Apple Stores

Apple Stores are going to have the most stock and thus, they will be appealing to those that are looking to buy an iPhone 5S on release day. However, Apple Stores will also boast the longest lines which means that those who are fortunate enough to live in proximity of multiple Apple Stores, should head to the non-flagship location for the best chance at getting an iPhone 5S.

Apple’s iPhone 5S goes on sale on September 20th. And there will be lines.

For instance, Apple has a flagship location in downtown San Francisco, but there is also a location that is at the Stonestown Mall out near San Francisco State University. The safer of the two is the Stonestown Mall as it is less visible and therefore will likely be less populated. And yes, it will likely still have a bunch of iPhone 5S devices in stock.

Avoid Flagship Carrier Stores

On that same note, those looking to buy on the iPhone 5S release date will likely want to avoid the most visible carrier stores as well. Flagship stores will likely boast considerable stock as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon look to peddle their wares but be warned, they will also likely be packed full of iPhone buyers.

Instead, we recommended trying carrier kiosks in malls or locations that are a little more tucked away than those located in city centers. These are more likely to have shorter lines and thus, buyers will have more of a chance to have their first crack at the iPhone 5S that they want.

Avoid Third Party Retailers

Those that haven’t placed an order ahead of time should avoid heading into third party retailers like Best Buy, Target, RadioShack or Walmart. For one, they historically have not had the same kind of stock that Apple and carriers provide. Certain models will likely be sold out within minutes, particularly because they are taking reservations ahead of time.

The Best Buy iPhone 5 ordering process was a disaster.

If all else fails, they are worth a shot as a last resort but don’t head there first as their stock is generally wiped out pretty quickly.

iPhone 5s Pre-orders Available in China… What About U.S

Some lucky iPhone 5s buyers can pre-order the iPhone 5s for in store pickup on September 20th, and you can too — assuming you live in Hong Kong or are willing to fly halfway around the world to make sure you have an iPhone 5s on September 20th.

Apple switched up the game with the iPhone 5s asking users to come in to an Apple Store on September 20th at 8 AM instead of pre-ordering an iPhone 5s a week early and waiting for the Fedex delivery to come. This angered and confused some customers who waited up late last night to pre-order the iPhone 5s.

As it turns out Apple is offering an iPhone 5s pre-order of sorts in China. While it is not a pre-order that delivers an iPhone 5s to the buyer’s door, it is much easier for someone in Hong Kong to buy the iPhone 5s for release date pickup than it is for a U.S. shopper.

Apple is taking in store iPhone 5s reservations for pick up on September 20th, if you are in China.

MacTrast spotted the iPhone 5s pre-order for in store pickup on the Apple China webpage which invites shoppers to make an online reservation to pick up the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c on September 20th in store at a local Apple Store. The image above shows the message.

On the U.S. Apple Store retail webpage users do not see an invitation to make a reservation for the iPhone 5s. Instead they simply learn that the Apple Stores will open two hours early on September 20th to sell the iPhone 5s to a long line of shoppers.

U.S. Apple Stores are not taking iPhone 5s pre-orders.

At this point it is likely too late for Apple to announce a similar program in the U.S. and it looks like this may be part of Apple’s continued plans to court Chinese consumers with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

It is inevitable that Apple will open up online iPhone 5s reservations in the U.S. at some point, but in 2012 it a similar offer did not start until four days after the iPhone 5 release date.

Apple is reportedly handling this launch in a manner that will drive more iPhone buyers to an Apple Store where they can experience buying a device directly from Apple and get to experience the other Apple products that owning an iPhone can lead to. While this strategy makes sense, an iPhone 5s release is a bad time to do it as the store is typically overcrowded, shoppers are cranky and there is no focus on the other Apple products on sale.

Target calls it an iPhone 5s pre-order, but it’s really a reservation.

Target is taking iPhone 5s reservations, but they are first come first serve, with only a 16GB option available and no off contract sales.

What iPhone 5s Size Should You Buy

The iPhone 5s is set to launch on September 20, and while most veteran Apple users know exactly what model they’re getting, you may be a newcomer who might have a hard time deciding what storage size to get, especially if the iPhone 5s will be your very first smartphone. It will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, so before you head on down to the Apple Store or your local carrier store, make sure you know what storage size to get.

In most other phones, you don’t really need to think long and hard about what storage size to get, mainly because a lot of Android devices come with microSD card slots that allow you to shove in an extra 32GB of storage whenever you need it, but the iPhone 5s won’t have that luxury, so you’ll have to decide how much storage you’ll need for all your mobile games, photos, videos, music, movies and TV shows. Luckily, we’re here to help.

What Takes Up Space?

If you already have an iPhone, you can navigate to Settings >General > Usage to see a list of what apps you have and how much space they’re taking up. You can see how much space all of your photos and videos are consuming by looking at “Photos & Camera.” If you’re on Android, you can head to Settings > Storage.

iOS

Yes, the operating system itself takes up space on your iPhone. Apple doesn’t tell you how much, though, but you can easily find out by going into the Usage page in Settings and adding up the storage used and the storage amount that’s free, then subtracting that number from the total space of your iPhone (16GB, 32GB or 64GB). For me on my 16GB iPhone 4S, iOS 7 takes up 2.6GB.

Apps

Apps themselves don’t take up a lot of space — usually under 100MB a piece, but additional data such as cache, history, etc. can add another couple hundred megabytes to that. Plus, if you intend on having a ton of apps, the storage required can add up. There are also bigger apps like GarageBand, which can take up a gigabyte or so by itself.

Games

Games can be one of the biggest culprits of storage hogging. Depending on the game, they can take up anywhere from a couple hundred megabytes, all the way up to several gigabytes. For instance, graphic-intensive titles like Real Racing 3 and Infinity Blade II can take up several gigabytes a piece, so if you plan on doing a lot of gaming while on the go, you might think about going for the higher storage capacity options.

Music

Music files are pretty small, but you might have a pretty large music collection. I’ve met plenty of people who are rocking music collections over 25GB easily, so if you’re a music junkie, consider aiming high when thinking about storage. Of course, there are cloud and streaming options, but that really only works if you’re around WiFi a lot or have an unlimited data plan, but many users don’t have the luxury of either.

Movies & TV Shows

Besides games, movies and TV shows are the biggest storage hogs; HD movies can take up several gigabytes a piece. You could go standard definition and save on space, but the iPhone’s Retina display would make the smaller-res movies look a bit grainy, and if you’re a quality nut like we are, you’ll always want your content in high definition.

Photos & Videos

Some people take a lot of photos, and record a ton of videos, and all that media can add up quickly. Sure, you can constantly transfer your photos and videos to your computer in order to free up space, but sometimes we don’t have access to a computer while we’re out having fun. This is where you might need more storage for your photo memories.

Which Size Is Right for You?

It really depends on what you’ll use your phone for, but here’s a breakdown that may help you make your decision.

16GB – Basic Users, Cloud Advocates, Non-Gamers

The 16GB model of the iPhone 5s is perfect for those who don’t plan on consuming a lot of media or playing games. However, it can be good for those who plan on consuming a lot of media but use the cloud instead. Personally, I use the cloud for everything; Netflix for movies and TV shows, Spotify for music, and Dropbox’s instant upload for photos and videos that I take. The result is around 11GB free on my 16GB iPhone.

32GB – Moderate Users, Music Lovers, Mediocre Gamers

This is the middle of the road, and it’s good for the type of users who don’t consider themselves basic users, but also not media junkies that have a lot of games and videos. If you have a healthy amount of apps and play a few games, as well as store your generous amount of music on there, 32GB is probably enough.

64GB – Power Users, Media Junkies, Gamers

The 64GB is the highest you can go, and it’s meant for the media junkies of all media junkies. Well, maybe not all media junkies. If you have a large music collection, you probably won’t be able to store all of your music on your iPhone and still have room for other stuff, but if you download a lot of apps and play a lot of games, as well record videos nonstop, the 64GB version is the only choice for you.

The Bottom Line

You’ll be paying $100 more for each storage level that you move up, with the 16GB version costing $199, the 32GB costing $299 and the 64GB costing $399 on-contract. If you’re at a crossroads on which storage level to get, just remember that $100 is pocket change compared to what you’ll be paying to use the phone over the course of two years, so if you want a storage cushion, paying $100 extra for more storage won’t be a big deal in the long run.

Grand Theft Auto 5 Leaks Out, Microsoft Throws the Banhammer

Grand Theft Auto 5 doesn’t officially release until next Tuesday, but some folks have claimed to already gotten copies of the game, and they’re turning around and selling them on eBay for a big profit.

For example, this PlayStation 3 copy was sold for $500, and the seller is guaranteeing Saturday delivery on September 14 — four days before the game releases. We’re not sure if someone actually bought this item, but it at least proves that early copies are out there.

Furthermore, Rockstar Games, Microsoft and Take Two Interactive are teaming together to shut down any leaked footage that gets out. Microsoft is banning Xbox 360 consoles of owners who leak footage out. One gamer in particular posted leaked footage on Vine and ended up getting his console banned.

One of his Vine’s contained his gamertag, and with that as evidence, Microsoft quickly hit the big red button to have his console banned from Xbox Live, meaning he has to have to buy a new one in order to play online again. Harsh!

Rockstar is sweeping the internet and taking down all leaked footage that it comes across. Searching around for footage on YouTube and other sites reveals that most leaked videos have been taken down by now, claiming that they break Rockstar copyright claims.

Indeed, Rockstar’s policy on posting copyrighted material from its games is pretty straightforward, saying that “any posting of in-game footage from leaked copies of the game prior to its official release date will be taken down, regardless of how the game was obtained. This includes ‘early unboxing’ videos.”

While we’ve seen eBay listings for PlayStation 3 versions of the game being sold, there’s no word on whether or not Sony is banning gamers who have gotten the game early. It’s also not said if Microsoft is also banning gamers who are simply just playing the game before the release date. We’re guessing early, selected reviewers are whitelisted by Microsoft, but they may have the banhammer ready for those not authorized to play it.

However, one thing that Rockstar can’t stop is the uploading of Xbox 360 versions of the game to torrent sites. Two-disc ISO sets are appearing on these sites, and while Rockstar can try to take these down, torrent sites are a lot harder to budge as far as this kind of takedown is concerned. Of course, you’ll have to have the right kind of know how to get a torrented copy working on your console, but nonetheless, it’s out there, and it seems people just can’t wait a few more days.

NoteSuite for iOS and OSX is Better than Apple Notes or Evernote

Thanks to iCloud and the Notes app on both iOS and OSX users can type up quick notes, but NoteSuite does the same thing and adds features like folders, inking for scribbling notes with a stylus or finger and lets users easily share those notes using third-party services.

Many people will say that Evernote already syncs notes between multiple devices, but Evernote doesn’t offer inking features on the iPad and it’s not as elegant as NoteSuite. We must resort to third-party apps that work with Evernote. NoteSuite does this all right inside the iOS app and it exports to Dropbox too.

NoteSuite now sits on our main iPad home screen, replacing Notability as the best note-taking and inking app thanks to how well it syncs our notes with the OSX app and the beautiful pen options.

NoteSuite for OSX

Upon first installing the OSX version of NoteSuite the app gives users a helpful walk through to learn more about its features. Included we learn about clipping web pages using a Safari, Chrome or Firefox plugin or extension.

Install the web clipping tool and start clipping pages to notes for later use. Web designers could use it on the iPad to work on their website designs. Students can save info for research.

We clipped content from our home page. Notice how users can tag the clip or add to a to-do list in NoteSuite. It doesn’t work well with the beta version of Safari, but we hope they’ll get the kinks fixed before OSX Mavericks ships.

The NoteSuite To-Do list features won’t compare to more complicated task software, but for simple To-Do lists it works great. Users can tag them by subject and add a due date. Send it to other people for collaboration.

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NoteSuite for OSX helps users stay organized with folders and tags.

The built-in search tools make it easy to find even when we’re not as organized as we’d like.

A user can set the menu applet to load at start-up. This makes it quick and easy to create notes, to-do list items or open NoteSuite.

NoteSuite for iPad

The iPad version of NoteSuite replaced Notability as our go-to note taking app, because it syncs notes betwee the OSX version and the iPad version. It runs on all iPads except for the first one. Organize notes in folders and add tags, just like the OSX version.

We mostly like NoteSuite’s inking features. The zoom tool represented by the hand icon above opens a handwriting window. Users can write with large strokes and Notesuite shrinks the print and puts it in place. Users can add more text to a page this way and the print looks more like regular handwriting notes on a page.

The pen color and size options exceed other tools. They look nice and make the app easy to use.

We love NoteSuite and recommend that users get it now in the iTunes App Store for $1.99 and on the Mac App Store for $4.99.