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Sexy PS3 Slim Boasts a New 45nm Cell Processor

Andy Salisbury — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:45:23 -0500

With the recent introduction of the PS3 Slim, Sony also introduced a new piece of tech within it – a 45nm cell processor.

The newer, slimmer version of Sony’s powerhouse will reportedly lose its Linux support and won’t come with any kind of backwards compatibility with PS2 games. However, it’ll come with a larger 120GB drive onboard, and the improved CPU. According to a video posted by Sony on their US website, the processor is based on IBM’s Power architecture, and was a joint venture between IBM, Sony and Toshiba. No word yet on what the GPU is, but we do know that the folks responsible for making it are Nvidia.

The PS3 Slim will be available on September 1 for $299.

Image Credit: Sony

Sony Sets on Touchscreen Vaios for the Fall

Andy Salisbury — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:55:19 -0500

According to a recent interview with Sony’s Senior Vice President of Information Technology Products Mike Abary, there has been a recent push towards bringing touchscreen Vaios to consumers, as well as integrating them with a plethora of goodies.

The touchscreen Vaio, which will be known as the Vaio W, is reported to integrate the PlayStation Network to deliver movies and TV shows (possibly games) and come with eBook functionality. They’ll also be based off of Windows 7.

No official word yet on pricing, but you can expect them in time for the holidays.

Image Credit: Sony

Sony Won't License Playstation Brand to Sony Ericsson

Pulkit Chandna — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:14:21 -0600

If Mobile Today is to believed, all those rumors about the PSP phone were indeed true. According to a report, which cites anonymous sources, Sony disallowed Sony Ericsson’s request to use the Playstation brand in December.

Sources have revealed that Sony told the mobile phone manufacturer that the only way the Playstation brand can appear on a cellphone is when it independently makes such a device.

It is claimed that Sony is reluctant to license the Playstation brand for a product that doesn’t conform to the lofty technological standards the brand is associated with.

Image Credit: Cellaz

Microsoft to Cut Xbox 360 Pro Price By $50

Chris Moody — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:58:58 -0500

The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft will lower the price of its 20GB Pro Xbox 360 from $349 to $299 as early as July 13th. It might be announced as part of Microsoft's presentation at the E3 on July 14th.

Microsoft has lost ground to the Playstation 3 in the past year, possible because of the defeat of Microsoft backed HD-DVD which the Xbox came with versus Sony’s Blu-Ray and the 40Gigs of space versus the Xbox 360’s 20Gigs at a roughly $50 price difference. Best guess is that this might lead to Sony cutting prices on the Playstation 3 as well.

So if you absolutely must get a console, hold off for the coming price adjustment. We’ll miss you in Team Fortress 2.

Playstation 3 Helps Sony Win Blu-ray War and Lose $3 Billion

Paul Lilly — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:43:08 -0500

Sony's decision to slap a Blu-ray player into its Playstation 3 console helped seal HD-DVD's fate as the modern day Betamax, but the costly hardware also helped contribute to a whopping $3 billion loss in hardware sales, according to a Kotaku report. Sony's fiscal 2008 annual report also pinpointed "the large-scale investment required during the development and introductory period" as a contributing factor. Throwing salt into the financial wound, the now ancient PS2 sold more hardware than the PS3 in fiscal 2008, and nearly three times as much software. Ouch.

Image Credit: Sony

Daily News Brief: Auto Pilot Software for your Car!

Paul "One4yu2c" Lilly — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:13:43 -0500

Super Cruise Control!

Ever wish you could throw your car into auto pilot and sleep through rush hour? Teledyne Technologies has, and their software is being used to control TerraMax, a large green truck capable of driving itself. The prototype can navigate and obey traffic rules all on its own, such as stopping at a four-way intersection and waiting until it's clear. The most likely use for this technology will probably be with the military, though we'd love to see cell phone chatting, make-up applying motorists end up as beneficiaries at some point.

Sony Confirms 40GB Playstation 3

It was rumored, and now it's confirmed; Sony will start selling a 40GB version of the Playstation 3 console this Wednesday in Europe. Priced at €399 (roughly $560), the new vesion cuts the USB ports down from four to two, ditches the multi memory card port, and throws backwards compatibility with PS2 games out the window. Sony claims backwards compatibility was nixed from lack of user interest, and "availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles." Er, thanks?

Google Developing Cell Phone OS

There's been much speculation about an upcoming gPhone from Google, but don't expect the iPhone killer any time soon. Instead, the NYTimes reports Google's more interested in creating mobile software to challenge Microsoft's Windows Mobile. The as yet unnamed open source platform will seek to cut into Microsoft's 10 percent smartphone market share, and according to Dan Olschwang, JumpTap's cheif executive, "Google's agenda is to disaggregate carriers."

Msnbc.com Grabs Newsvine

Marking their first acquisition in their 11-year history, Msnbc.com acquired Newsvine, the social news site. Terms of the all-cash transaction have not been disclosed, but other similar sites have gone for as much as $75 million, the amount eBay paid for StumbleUpon.com. MSNBC plans to integrate Newsvine mainly at the story level, which might help them compete with Digg, Reddit, and Del.icio.us.

Vonage Settles Disput with Sprint...

...in a fight to the death! Not really, but Vonage did agree to fork over $80 million in a licensing agreement that allows them to use Sprint's patents for VoIP technology. The agreement ends a series of legal battles between the two companies over patent infringement, and softens the latest legal blow to hit Vonage just a couple weeks ago, news of which resulted in a 33 percent stock price plummet.

How to Cook an XBox 360

You won't find this dish at any of Emeril's restaurants, but in case you ever wondered, you surely can cook an XBox 360. Engadget has the pics, with several shots of the ill-fated console after having sat on a turned-on stove top. Apparently the unit still works, but we'd venture to guess that from now on, the gamer gone chef incorporates an entertainment rack into his list of ingredients. BAM!

Daily News Brief: Win a Date with a Nerd!

Paul "One4yu2c" Lilly — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:40:05 -0500

Will Teach Tech for Dates

In what's perhaps the greatest idea ever, Washington State University plans to hold a 'nerd auction' in an attempt to recruit more women. The computer gurus will be auctioned off to sorority girls, who will then give the geek a makeover. In exchange, the high bidder can have her computer fixed, receive help with homework, or go out on a date if she finds herself mesmerized by the linguistics of Linux. But don't fret if you're not a Washington State University sorority girl; you can still win a dream date with Maximum PC's David Murphy.

Microsoft to Replace Scratched Halo 3 Discs

After months and months of waiting, Halo 3 made its record-breaking debut, but the wait might not be over for some gamers. Reports hit the web that the packaging used for the $70 special limited-edition is scratching discs. In response to the complaints, Microsoft has set up a replacement program online and will send out the Halo 3 game disc and Essentials disc for no charge. The replacement program runs through February 1, 2008

Security Hole in AIM

Core Security Technologies discovered a security hole in AOL's instant messaging program that could potentially allow a hacker to take control of the user's system. After being notified of the flaw, AOL took steps to correct the issue and considers the matter resolved. Ivan Arce, chief technology officer for Core Security doesn't agree, stating the solution is temporary at best, and that hackers are able to get around the blockade. Affected clients include AIM 6.1, and the new beta 6.2. Our solution? Give Trillian, Pidgin (formerly GAIM), or Meebo a whirl.

Blu-ray Recorder to Hit One Terabyte

The high definition format war rages on, and Sharp gears up to whip out a BFG (Big *&#% Gun) in Blu-ray's favor. How big? One thousand gigabytes! The new Blu-ray recorder will be able to record 127 hours of high-def content, and will first appear in Japan on December 1st for $2,615. Sharp plans to offer eight more Blu-ray recorder models in attempt to render VCRs and standard DVD players obsolete. But it won't be as easy knocking HD-DVD out of contention, who can also boast a 1 terabyte recorder, courtesy of Toshiba.

Stock Plummets following Vonage Verdict

Today a jury found Vonage guilty of willfully infringing upon six of Sprint-Nextel's VoIP patents, awarding Sprint $69.5 million, or roughly 5 percent of Vonage's revenue during the infringement. Worse yet, the judge can opt to triple the monetary damages since the infringement was deemed intentional. Vonage shares plummeted by 33 percent following news of the verdict. Vonage will attempt to overturn the ruling, and meanwhile must gear up to present their appeal in a $58 million lawsuit they previously lost to Verizon.

Slimmed PSP Sells Big

Looking to compete with Nintendo's DS Lite, Sony unveiled a new Playstation Portable in Japan to a great reception. The updated PSP, which is both slimmer than the original model, saw 250,000 sales in just four days, nearly matching sales of the original from July and August. The new PSP sells for 19,800 yen (roughly $170 USD), 5 percent less than the original. The DS Lite goes for 16,800 yen (around $145 USD).

Adopt a Dog Website Gets Personal

And blunt. A new website wants you to adopt a dog, and they hope to convince you by showing how much time a homeless canine has before being put down. DogsinDanger.com keeps a memorial with names, photos, and dates that euthanizing took place. Alex Aliksanyan of The Buddy Fund, the group responsible for the site, warns this isn't a family friendly site, saying "It's not a happy site with puppies running around[...]We're saying these pets are going to die. Look at their faces."