They will announce their latest Windows 8 design in California where they will be showcasing the new OS. This will give developers the chance to decide whether they would like to use the software in their computers and devices. Since the launch of the iPad, the tablet market has been all about Apple, they have had a head start over Microsoft, who now will be hoping to gain some ground.

So far all the other manufacturers of tablets that have tried to take on the mighty iPad, such as Hewlett Packard and BlackBerry, have failed to make so much as a dent on the market, which is predominantly owned by Apple. Tough competition also lurks elsewhere for Microsoft, with another popular OS; the Google owned Android hoping to muscle in on the tablet market.

While footage of the new Windows 8 OS has been accessible via YouTube, this will be the first time the company has completely presented it in front of developers. In the clips available claims that Windows 8 would work across multiple platforms were made. These platforms include touch-screen systems, laptops and desktops. According to Sky News we won’t be seeing the OS fully operating on a device until next year.

What do you think of Windows? Will their new OS be enough to take on Apple’s iOS?

In fact, we recently discovered an article over on the pcworld.com website that lists nine of the best soccer / football apps for iOS users. If you fancy trying your luck at being a goalkeeper, then it might be worth downloading the Flick Football Super Save app. This addictive soccer game comes with 4 different game modes, global leaderboards and 21 achievements to unlock.

Game modes include 3 Lives, Bend It, Multi-Ball and Sudden Death. The Flick Football Super Save game was given an overall review score of 4/5 by pcworld.com. Meanwhile, Gamerirzon’s Chop Chop Soccer HD game – which only requires one finger to pass, tackle, run and score – has been specifically developed for Apple’s iPad tablet.

The Chop Chop Soccer HD game comes with four difficulty levels, four stadiums, 12 teams to choose from, four tournaments and colourful cartoon graphics. Soccer Superstars 2011 is another game that might be worth downloading. The game features six different modes (including Season, Cup, Dramatic and My League), and the ability to customize your player.

If you don’t mind paying almost $10, then the Football Manager Handheld 2011 game is another soccer-themed app that’s definitely worth downloading. The Football Manager Handheld 2011 game enables users to take control of all aspects of management including tactics and formation, training, team instructions and transfers.

Another soccer / football game on the list is the First Touch Soccer app, which comes with excellent visuals, intuitive controls, Retina display support and 7 different game modes to choose from. Flick Kick Football on the other hand challenges players to score the winning goal. The game even comes with online multiplayer and a practice mode.

Flick Soccer is another great soccer-related game for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The game comes with 5 modes of play including challenge mode, crossbar mode and endurance mode. Real Soccer 2011 is another game that made it onto the list. Real Soccer 2011 features 14 leagues, 350 teams, a history mode and the ability to show off your skills on YouTube.

Last but definitely not least is the Pro Evolution Soccer 2011game, which comes with a new multiplayer mode, shirt selection in multiplayer, new animations, new stadiums and weather effects, and exclusive UEFA Club competitions. You can read more about all of the aforementioned apps via the pcworld.com link. Do you have any of these games on your iOS device?

In fact, the guys at pcworld.com have recently taken a look at some of the top iPhone and iPad apps for foodies and provided a list containing nine of the best. For example, the VegOut – Vegetarian Restaurant Guide application provides users with the world’s biggest international listing of vegan, vegetarian-friendly and vegetarian restaurants.

Listings can either be found by your exact location, or by a custom location for those of you that are planning to travel. The Zagat app on the other hand will provides users with fresh restaurant reviews and ratings for more than 30,000 different restaurants. It even features an exclusive offline mode that enables users to browse restaurants while traveling.

Do you think you know a lot about food? Now you can put your knowledge to the test thanks to the Foodie APPtitude Test app. This $0.99 app will test users’ knowledge of various different food-related subjects including ingredients, food histories, recipes, wines, spices, restaurants and chefs. Another interesting app on the list is Tasting Table To-Go.

Tasting Table To-Go enables you to take the applications’ drinking and dining recommendations with you wherever you go. The app not only allows users to find nearby recommendations by map, it also enables them to read articles and manage their own list of places they’d like to try. Meanwhile, Foodish is the ideal app for those that like to keep a record of what they’re eating.

The Foodish app allows users to record all the meals and drinks they have, and provide them with an overview of how healthy or unhealthy their diet is. If on the other hand you are looking for an app that will allow you to capture, share and follow memorable food-related experiences as they happen, then the Picdish application may be worth downloading.

Picdish enables you to share complete food-related experiences, showcase your culinary passion and discover gourmet adventures from all across the world in real-time. We all know how expensive it can be to eat out in a restaurant, especially when you start adding drinks to your bill. However, the Meal Ticket app will help you save a little money.

The Meal Ticket app will not only show you coupons and deals for restaurants in your area, it will also provide you with ratings and reviews from other users as well. The final two apps on the list are Memorable Meals, which enables users to record, remember and share their favorite meals (both homemade and from a restaurant), and On The Menu, which provides users with a quick and easy way to look up hard to remember ingredients and dishes etc.

Have you used any of the aforementioned apps?

According to a recent article by Damon Brown over at pocketgamer.co.uk, the ‘Cut the Rope: Experiments’ game takes the original game’s addictive formula, and adds a few more interesting features. For those of you that never played the first ‘Cut the Rope’ game, it focuses on a little green monster named Om Nom, who likes to eat a lot of candy.

The aim of the game is to get all the pieces of candy, which are attached to various lengths of rope (and other objects later in the game), into Om Nom’s mouth. Players can do this by sliding their finger strategically across the rope to cut it and swing the candy into the mouth of Om Nom. In order to master a level, players must catch the 3 stars with the candy.

‘Cut the Rope: Experiments’ sees Om Nom – who is still in the very same cardboard box he was in during the original game – dropped off at the home of a Professor, who’s keen to conduct experiments on the little green monster. The game’s 75 levels are packed with even more machines and contraptions than its predecessor.

The first 25 levels come with the traditional tension wires, which when they are cut make the candy fly, and the bubbles that make the candy float, but a few new items have been added to give the puzzles more complexity. For example, platforms will act like trampolines, enabling players to bounce the candy in a different direction.

If on the other hand you touch the Whoopee cushion-like puffers, a blast of air will push the candy along. One of the better items in the ‘Cut the Rope: Experiments’ game has to be the rope shooter, which fires a wire with a plunger attached to the end of it at the candy. This of course makes it stick to the candy like a suction cup.

Although the original game had its timed puzzles (particularly in the later levels), speed is of the essence in Cut the Rope: Experiments. Not only will insects jump on the rope and run down it to gobble up the candy, certain stars will have specific time limits. If players aren’t quick enough and the timer goes down, the star will unfortunately disappear.

We’ve embedded a video below this post so you can see the new game for yourself. Are you a fan of the original Cut the Rope game?

Mark Brown over on the pocketgamer.co.uk website has recently published an article that lists what he believes are ten of the best platform games available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The very first game on the list is SilverTree Media’s 3D puzzle-platformer Cordy, which sees players taking control of a little robot named Cordy.

Although the Cordy game is free to download, players do have the option of buying additional content via in-app purchase. The free game features just 4 levels, while the full game provides you with a total of 27 levels. Another platform game worth considering is One Single Life, which Brown says is more of an arty experiment than a real game.

The One Single Life game is all about a guy who believes he can make a series of death-defying leaps between rooftops and as the title suggests, players only get one life to complete all the levels. Meanwhile, the Pix’n Love Rush game has players rushing through neon-tinted worlds while dodging enemies, collecting coins and trying to rack up a high score.

Cascadia Games’ Cavorite is another game that made it onto the top 10 list. The game – which costs £1.49 to download – features a total of 63 levels across three unique worlds, boss battles, retro 16-bit era graphics and more than 60 Game Center achievements to unlock. Hook Champ on the other hand sees players using a grappling hook to swing through haunted ruins.

The Hook Champ game includes varied levels, character upgrades, collectibles and local, global and OpenFeint high score boards. To-Fu: The Trials of Chi is also listed as one of the best platform games. Players move their character by stretching and pinging him across the screen. The game features 130 unique trials, with various obstacles to overcome.

When first looking at the Continuity 2: The Continuation game, you’ll think that it just looks like your typical stickman jumper. However, once you zoom out you will discover that the level’s individual rooms are in fact giant tiles that players can slide about in order to rearrange the entire play area. The list would not be complete without the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 game.

The Sonic the Hedgehog 4 game comes with two exclusive levels and all of Sonic’s classic moves. The last two games on the list are Roboto, which features more than 30 exciting levels, boss battles and addictive mini-games, and League of Evil, which sees players taking on the role of a special agent that’s out to stop the League of Evil.

You can read more about the games via the App Store links provided. Do you have any of these games downloaded?

We discovered an article over on the pcworld.com website recently, which provides a list of some of the top Fantasy Football apps for iOS users. One such app is CBS Sports Pro Football for iPad. This free application provides users with full control over their CBSSports.com Fantasy Football teams. Once the NFL season starts, the app will enable users to follow the action with real-time GameTrackers, standings, stats and more.

Another great Fantasy Football app is Fantasy Draftboard Manager, which is the first and only electronic DraftBoard for fantasy football leagues. The Fantasy Draftboard Manager app includes features such as send out reports, timer with chime, quick touch picks, updateable player rankings and list and the ability to set to any number of teams / rounds.

Yahoo! Fantasy Football ’11 is another popular app for Fantasy Football fans. Not only does this free app include live scoring, it also features roster management. On other words, the app allows you to add and drop players whenever you want to. Meanwhile, the Fantasy Football Draft Monster ’11 – Yahoo/ESPN Live Draft App includes a feature not found anywhere else: Live Online Drafts.

Don’t worry if you can’t get to your PC to make your league’s live draft, as the Fantasy Football Draft Monster ’11 app will enable you to participate in Live Yahoo / ESPN drafts right from your iOS device. The application also enables users to take part in mock online drafts with other players. Features include complete draft analysis on every player and up-to-date player news and injuries from RotoWire.

Speaking of RotoWire, there is always the option of the RotoWire Fantasy Football Draft Kit 2011 app. All users have to do is just enter their league’s scoring and roster settings, and the application will create rankings from a value-based calculation using RotoWire’s 2011 stat projections. Other features include recent news and analysis for players, team depth charts and a player search.

The final app on the list is Fantasy Football Monster ’11 HD – Yahoo/ESPN/NFL.com Manager. This app enables users to manage all of their ESPN, Yahoo and NFL.com fantasy football teams in just one place. The app not only provides users with the ability to drag and drop to quickly edit their lineups, it also enables them to trade players and check live game scores.

You can read more about all of the aforementioned apps via the pcworld.com website. Are you a Fantasy Football fan?

In fact, Liane Cassavoy from pcworld.com has recently published an article listing some of the top money saving apps for both iOS and Android users. First on the list is the Red Laser app, which turns your smartphone into a barcode scanner. Simply take a photo of the barcode, and the app will check prices on all online and local retailers to hopefully find the cheapest.

Another way to find the best deal on a product is the free Shopping by TheFind app, which is available for Android and iOS platforms. Not only will this app enable you to check prices of specific items sold online and in retail stores, it also allows you to scan barcodes for more detailed product information, get maps to stores, set prices watches, and even save product lists.

Shopkick on the other hand is an app that allows you to collect rewards for checking in to specific retailers such as Macy’s, Target and Best Buy. Users earn points called kicks every time they check in. These points can then be redeemed for rewards like movie vouchers, gift cards or perhaps Facebook credits. Save Benjis is another app that enables you to compare prices.

The $2 version also enables you to scan barcodes for easier price comparison. Are you a fan of coupons, but you just don’t like carrying them all around with you? If you do, then the Coupon Sherpa app might be the answer. The app – which is coming to Android and BlackBerry soon – lets you search for relevant coupons on your smartphone.

Meanwhile, Key Ring is the ideal app for those that own various store loyalty cards, as it lets you scan and store them on your mobile device so you can simply show that to the store clerks when purchasing a product. If you find it hard to work out exactly how much money you are saving in the sales, then it might be worth downloading the Sale Saver app.

The free app even includes an automatic tax calculator. The Groupon app has also made it onto the list. Groupon allows you to search for and purchase product deals based on your location. Another app that enables you to search your local retailers is Milo’s Local Shopping. Participating retailers include Target, Walgreens and GameStop.

If you want an app that provides you with reviews on products, then the Buzzillions Reviews application might be the one for you. Besides being able to read reviews, it also allows you to read more information on a product and check prices. Google Shopper not only alerts users to nearby offers, it will also show them the deal of the day.

Other great shopping apps that are on the list include CompareMe, Shopper, Amazon Mobile and Fast Mall. You can read more about these apps via the pcworld.com website. We hope that these apps can be of help to you. Have you got any shopping apps that you’d like to tell us about?

In fact, Kelly Hodgkins from the tuaw.com website has recently published an article listing five popular iOS apps for new parents. One such app is Riada International Pty. Ltd’s Skrappy – Scrapbook & Photo Album for Digital Scrapbooking for the Apple iPad, which enables users to turn all those cute baby photos into a very special keepsake.

The Skrappy app – which is priced up at $2.99 – not only enables you to create a digital scrapbook using photos, it also allows you to add videos, clip art, music, voice memos, backgrounds and more. Another application that’s definitely worth considering is Baby Monitor & Alarm, which allows you to use two separate iOS devices as a baby monitoring system.

Besides giving parents the ability to hear their baby while he / she is sleeping, the Baby Monitor & Alarm app will also play soothing music from the users’ iTunes library. Parents even have the option of recording their own voice and have it play back while their baby is falling asleep. If the baby stirs, the app’s alert function will call you on any given phone number.

If on the other hand you want an app that can perhaps save you a bit of money on those expensive diapers, then Diapers.com might be the app for you. The iOS app is basically a mobile interface for the diapers.com website, which offers users diapers at a discount. Not only does it allow you to place a new order direct from your iPhone, it also enables you to track existing orders.

The Diapers.com app even comes with a scanning feature, which will enable you to compare prices. Meanwhile, Baby Geek is a logging and analysis application that’s ideal for those that like to make a record of everything. Besides allowing you to track things such as immunizations and weight, the app also comes with a syncing option that enables you to share important information.

It even includes an email option to allow you to send the information to another caregiver or doctor. The final app on the list is Baby Shusher, which is aimed at helping parents calm their fussy babies. The app uses a quiet ‘shushing’ sound that is meant to mimic the sound of the womb. It also features a timer, so you can set it to ‘shush’ for up to 8 hours.

Have you ever used any of the aforementioned apps?

In fact, a recent article over at pcworld.com has listed 10 of the best cocktail creating applications for iOS devices. One of the top apps in their opinion is Cocktails HD, which includes a huge collection of cocktail recipes ranging from the most popular to the exotic. It even features a section of non-alcoholic drinks for children of all ages.

The drinks in the Cocktails HD app are all grouped together by category including classics, tropical, warmers, shooters, summer and martinis. Another great app on the list is Digital Outcrop’s Mixologist Drink Recipes, which enables users to search and browse through more than 7,900 different drink recipes, with over 1,200 ingredients listed.

Mixologist Drink Recipes will even allow users to add their own custom drink recipes to the app’s library, as well as share recipes with friends via Twitter, Facebook and Email. Meanwhile, the Martha Stewart Cocktails app features 60 different drink recipes, as well as how-to videos and the ability to post a cocktail on your friend’s Facebook wall.

Are you a fan of the popular Mad Men TV series? If you are you may like the Mad Men Cocktail Culture game. Not only does the Mad Men Cocktail Culture game – which features 11 playable cocktails – challenge users’ skills at creating popular cocktails from the 1960s, it will also provide them with Mad Men inspired feedback on their bartending skills.

If on the other hand you are a whisky drinker, then you may like the iWhisky – 600 reviews of the world’s whisky, and whisky by F. Paul Pacult application. Not only does the app feature reviews with description, star rating and price, it also comes with ten great whisky cocktail recipes complete with images. Another great app is Bartender’s Encyclopedia.

The Bartender’s Encyclopedia app comes with almost 25,000 different drink recipes. Not only will this app teach you which specific glass to use, it will also tell you whether you should shake or stir it. If perhaps you want an app that you don’t have to pay for, then it might be worth downloading the 8,500+ Drink & Cocktail Recipes application.

With Kevin Kozan’s iBartender app, users have the ability to search for drinks by name or ingredients, rate drinks and send recipes to friends via email. It even allows them to shake their iOS device to pick a random drink recipe. Another app on the list is InMyBar – Drink & Cocktail Recipes.

The InMyBar – Drink & Cocktail Recipes app comes with more than 1,100 recipes, with over 1,700 different ingredients to choose from. The final app on the list is DrinkFit – Beer, Cocktail, Liquor & Wine Nutrition Facts. This app will provide you with nutritional information on more than 1,600 different drinks, including total fat, calories and serving size etc.

Have you ever used any of these apps? If so, feel free to let us know what they are like.

Anthony Usher from the pocketgamer.co.uk website has scoured through the freemium games available for iOS users, and comprised a list of what he believes is ten of the best. One such game is Z2Live’s popular air combat title MetalStorm: Online, which places users in the cockpit of various fighters as they barrel roll, dogfight and engage enemy planes.

The MetalStorm: Online game features dozens of aircraft to choose from, aircraft customization, an in-game voice chat system and Game Center leaderboards and achievements. Another freemium game worth downloading is Glu Games Inc’s Gun Bros, which gives players the chance to step into the shoes of a superhuman special agent that’s armed with state of the art weapons.

Gun Bros features a multiplayer mode, built-in voice chat, Game Center integration and Bro-op challenges. Those of you that enjoy racing games might want to give the GT Racing: Motor Academy Free + app a try. This fast paced racer tasks players with passing driving exams, unlocking new cars, winning races and earning some cash.

GT Racing: Motor Academy Free + provides players with a handful of cars and events from the start, with the ability to purchase more with XP and packs of credit. If on the other hand it is shooting games that you prefer, you might want to consider downloading (if you haven’t already that is) Craneballs Studios’ popular Overkill game.

The aim of the Overkill game is to use the selection of weapons to shoot and kill a number of enemies that pop up around five different locations. Players can even use the money they earn from killing their opponents on upgrading and customizing their weapons. NimbleBit’s Tiny Tower is another freemium game worth considering.

Tiny Tower tasks players with building a busy and profitable tower building. Users will have to build apartments, clubs and shops, employ new workers, give the pixelated bitizens a new home and stock their store shelves with plenty of goodies. Another of Glu Games Inc’s games that have made it onto the list is the popular Space City app.

Your job this time is to build a bustling city on an outer space asteroid. There are more than 60 unique buildings to help you do so including diners, stadiums and cinemas. If that doesn’t appeal to you, then you may want to try out the Sunshine Cruise Lines game.

Sunshine Cruise Lines puts you in the role of a cruise ship owner, who has to equip it with bedrooms, restaurants and spas etc. Players will also be tasked with picking up special VIPs and employing new staff. Robotek HD is another game that made it onto the list.

The Robotek HD game tasks its players with destroying robots with lasers, microwaves, electricity, and whatever else you can get your hands on. The final two games on the list are Shadow Era (a trading card game) and Pocket Frogs, which tasks gamers with collecting, breeding and trading more than 15,000 different types of frogs.

Do you have any freemium games downloaded on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad? If so, which ones?