The year 2008 was called the year of Play Station 3 by the media and Sony is finally giving some credibility to this by releasing a system update of PS3. The updated 2.40 version is said to boost the sytem stability with some new features added. It will now have a feature of trophies which we earlier saw in XBox 360 under the guise of achievements.
The most touted development in version 2.40 is the accessibility of XrossMediaBar (XMB) in-game. The users will now be able to send messages to their friends and see whether they are online without being interrupted in their serious game play. The music stored on the hard disk can now also be played on while playing a game.
PLAYSTATION 3 Firmware v.2.40 Walkthrough Part 1: the XMB
Sony Ericsson has released a mobile phone handset for gamers which uses motion-sensing technology. The Sony Ericsson F305 allows users to control games on the phone by imitating the required movement in the game, much like the motion controller used by Nintendo’s Wii or Wiimote.
The handset also has a joypad-style controller which allows games on the phone to be played as if using the controller from a conventional console, i.e. horizontally using both hands rather than vertically and one-handed.
This phone also has a media player with stereo speakers and 2-mega pixel camera. It can also make and receive phone calls.
Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 3 console is a part of Guinness World Records, it has been recognized as the world’s most powerful distributed computing network. This is the outcome of Stanford University’s Folding@home project.
The record was made on 16 September 2007 as Folding@home surpassed one petaflop, a computing milestone that had never been reached before by a distributed computing network. More than 670,000 unique PS3 users are currently registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the programme to more than a petaflop.
“To have Folding@home recognised by Guinness World Records is a reflection of the extraordinary participation by gamers and consumers around the world, and for that we are very grateful,” said Vijay Pande, associate professor of chemistry at Stanford and Folding@home project lead.
As reported on vnunet, PS3 joined the initiative on 15 March 2007 since when more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the programme to more than a petaflop.
Microsoft is making efforts to expand the Xbox 360 feature set by announcing new instant messaging functions for users of the popular gaming device.
With expanded HD video content and a new HDMI-enabled Xbox 360 Elite, the Microsoft now provides the ability to run Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360, allowing them to easily connect and chat directly from their television with a network of more than 260 million active users.
This facility is expected to be available beginning the week of May 2007, the Xbox 360 Spring Update will add the ability to text chat in addition to video and voice chat functions with up to six people on a user’s contact list at one time while playing games, listening to music or watching movies.
In-Fusio is suing Microsoft for allegedly backing out of a contract to develop a mobile version of the popular Halo game. In-Fusio, which signed a $2 million contract with Microsoft, has been withholding a $500,000 payment after Microsoft rejected the design work the company did. Microsoft responded by ending the contract, citing refusal of payment as a reason.
“Indeed, in the last 11 months, Microsoft has approved no fully developed In-Fusio game designs; ignoring and then refusing to accept In-Fusio’s game design concepts with little or no explanation and leaving In-Fusio little basis to revise its concepts to obtain Microsoft’s approval,” reads the suit. (more…)
OCZ the gaming-oriented memory producer has announced the release of its first video card. Dubbed simply the OCZ 8800 GTX, the board will use NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800 GTX chipset at its standard 575MHz core and 1.8GHz memory speeds.
Each unit will be hand-picked for its ability to overclock: only the most easily enhanced chips will be chosen from each batch, OCZ claims.
The 8800 GTX from the company will be tied to a lifetime warranty, though the company has not revealed whether or not overclocking will affect support. Cards will begin shipping almost immediately after the launch and are expected to list near the official $649 price NVIDIA has set for its chipset.
iNES for S60 3rd Edition is the latest emulator from Marat Fayzullin, and emulates the NES and Famicom games consoles from Nintendo.
Fayzullin is also the author of several other S60 3rd Edition emulators of the Sega Master System, Game Gear, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Nintendo Game Boy and ColecoVision. A demo of iNES can be downloaded from the official site, and the full version can be purchased by clicking here.
Once you’ve installed it, either by hand or using the PC Suite’s application installer, you place the game files you want to run in the directory /Others/iNES/ on your phone’s memory card. (more…)
Interlink, is a Los Angeles-based company that specializes into remote controls and electronic-signature technologies, they have filed a suit in a federal district court in Delaware on December 4, claiming that Nintendo’s Wii Remote violates its “Trigger Operated Electronic Device” patent (U.S. patent No. 6,850, 221).
The company Interlink is claiming that Nintendo’s sale of the device, nicknamed the Wiimote, has caused the company to lose profits and royalties. (more…)
After years of super hype and speculations, the latest round of video game console wars is finally about to begin.The sleek PlayStation 3 by Sony Corp. is the priciest system, crammed with the very latest in cutting-edge technology. The Xbox 360 from Microsoft Corp., meanwhile, has had a yearlong head start to build a fan base.By touting intuitive controls over fancy graphics, Nintendo Co. has billed its Wii as a simpler, cheaper alternative to Microsoft’s and Sony’s offerings.
If you compare the trio to automobiles, said Bruno Bonnell, chairman and chief creative officer at publishing giant Atari Inc., the PS3 “is a kind of prototype Formula 1. The Wii is definitely a fun car, a Mini Cooper or a Beetle, something that everybody can enjoy riding. The 360 fulfills so much of the demand of the standard player, it’s one of the Toyotas or standard GM cars.”
In-Fusio is suing Microsoft for allegedly backing out of a contract to develop a mobile version of the popular Halo game. In-Fusio, which signed a $2 million contract with Microsoft, has been withholding a $500,000 payment after Microsoft rejected the design work the company did. Microsoft responded by ending the contract, citing refusal of payment as a reason.
iNES for S60 3rd Edition is the latest emulator from Marat Fayzullin, and emulates the NES and Famicom games consoles from Nintendo.
Sony’s PlayStation 3 have jumped to nearly $4,000 on eBay listings after the gaming console was launched in the US this week.
After years of super hype and speculations, the latest round of video game console wars is finally about to begin.The sleek PlayStation 3 by Sony Corp. is the priciest system, crammed with the very latest in cutting-edge technology. The Xbox 360 from Microsoft Corp., meanwhile, has had a yearlong head start to build a fan base.By touting intuitive controls over fancy graphics, Nintendo Co. has billed its Wii as a simpler, cheaper alternative to Microsoft’s and Sony’s offerings.
