It's been a solid tick since the North American N95, also referred to as the N95-3, received a software update. For those clamoring for a little love from Nokia's dev team, listen up: an administrator over at the outfit's forums has admitted that the Software Update crew has a new version in the works. We're told that they've heard the demands for a fresh release, and they're toiling away in order to bring it to N95-3 owners by early June. Unfortunately, we're not told what new features we can expect, and even worse, "early June" seems like eons away, doesn't it?

[Via Symbian-Guru]

For those of you who've recently dropped some dough on a new Fujifilm Z10fd or Z100fd, you've got some firmware to update. The company issued a couple of fixes today which tweak minor features on the cameras -- though we're sure a few folks will be happy to get them. The updates boost the startup speed in both models when using xD cards, enable camera-to-computer transfer with higher capacity media in the Z10fd, and adjust the underwater white balance on the Z100fd. Hit the read links, and begin your magical journey to freshness.

[Via Digital Photography Review]

Read - FinePix Z10fd Firmware (camera control software) Update Ver.1.01
Read - FinePix Z100fd Firmware (camera control software) Update Ver.1.01

Heads up, Zunesters. Prepare for improved device recognition and improved reliability during sync (though not much else, apparently), because your 2.3 firmware has arrived. This update also fixes battery issues that some 30 / 80 users have been having, improving battery life with more power efficient codecs, which should come as a big relief. Wipe the tears of joy away from your eyes and go get your little buddy Zuned, er, tuned up. Nokia fans, you also get a cookie today -- in the form of the first official update for your beloved internet tablet, the N810. Nokia hasn't forsaken early adopters either, as N800 and 770 users get to reap the benefits and bug fixes of the OS update, too.

[Thanks, Kevyn, Ryan]

Read - Zune Firmware Update 2.3
Read - N810 First official OS2008 update

For all you fanatics on the edge of your seat over the iPhone v1.1.1 hacking situation, there's some good news on the horizon. According to Erica Sadun -- one of the soldiers heading up the fight to break Apple's stranglehold -- the iPhone / iPod touch dev team have indeed managed to Jailbreak the new update. Apparently, the general-use tool hasn't made a showing yet, but baby steps have been taken, and the goods are sure to follow. So what can you expect? Third party apps are working, but will probably need to be recompiled due to the new frameworks, Springboard won't recognize DisplayOrder.plist (included apps now seem to be hard-coded into the Springboard app), you can activate the phone with third-party workarounds, and the Mobile Terminal and BSD suite work, as well as ARM-compiled command-line utilities. Of very interesting note: Erica says that the new firmware references both Nike and a radio, and that the devs are taking up a fund to buy a cake and deliver it to Apple, courtesy of "the Crazy Ones." She says the Jailbreak isn't "ready for prime time," and based on this info we tend to agree, but if you really want the full scoop, truck over to TUAW and check out the info for yourself.

If you haven't already bitten the bullet and taken your unlocked iPhone down that scariest of paths, the 1.1.1 update, we're here to sort out a bit of the hearsay from the actual and fairly inconvenient truth. Even if you have already updated, or never even unlocked or jailbroke your iPhone to begin with, there's still a lot to learn, so let's dive in, shall we?

Most people with a jailbroken iPhone will end up with a "factory-fresh" iPhone after the 1.1.1 firmware update. Your mileage may vary, and isolated incidents of bricking have occurred, but most people are just going to have a 3rd party-free, AT&T-only iPhone in their pocket when the day is through, and bricking seems to be just as common for a virgin iPhones as for jailbroken ones. As for when we'll have full use of the iPhone again is unclear, but TUAW's Erica Sadun says "don't expect a jailbreak anytime soon," which doesn't seem promising. Apparently the security is going to be a whole lot harder to crack this time around.

So along with new video resolutions, some slight PSone tweaks, and what was no doubt a bit of homebrew-busting code, it looks like the recently released 3.30 firmware for PSP also came bearing another little gift, in the form of a six-month pass to T-Mobile's WiFi Hotspot network. To cash in this sweet little freebie, all you have to do is setup a new connection when in range of any of the Mob's 'spots, and a new icon will appear that allows you to trigger the promotional period. Now of course nothing in this world is totally free, and the real reason for this present seems to be hooking users on the service and then offering them a "special rate" at the end of the trial -- but hey, since you don't need to submit a credit card or remember to cancel anything, we don't see any reason not jump right in.

It takes a certain amount of spirit to be a Zune user in the first place, so when the few, the proud discovered odd bugs in their precious "social" DAPs, and then learned that Microsoft was not only not fixing these problems, but not even confirming a fix was in the works, you can imagine the outcry was rather vocal. Well, the Zune Insider blog has finally spoken up on the subject, and is promising a 1.3 firmware update around March 20th to fix the most obvious of problems, such as Zune Marketplace content skipping, FM tuner battery drainage, and syncing hassles. Unfortunately, the other vocal half of the social, the ones with few bugs, but a whole lot of feature requests, is going to get shafted with this update -- still no wireless syncing, still no podcasting, still no transmogrifier. At least Microsoft has confirmed those requests, and says the Zune team is "working on making Zune better," and not just blowing all the Zune cash on hip-cool ads.

[Thanks, Mike]

Sony's latest PS3 firmware update (1.5 already? Oh how the time flies!) really has its heart in the right place. None of this magnanimous 720p Blu-ray playback nonsense, or any other help for the True HD impaired. No, this time around Sony is concentrating on what really matters: raking in the cash. See, the update lets you hook up a fancy little PaSoRi reader, which can pull contactless payments from your Edy money card or Felica phone to fill up your Network Wallet with relevant monies. It's all Japan-only, of course, but perhaps one day we can be cool like our island friends. Other minor enhancements include the addition of WEP128 and WPA-PSK (TKIP/AES) for wireless security, and a few other smaller fixes. The firmware should be headed to Japanese PS3s tomorrow.

[Via gearfuse]

Looks like Sony's going to give European gamers a little treat to try to make up for the long wait they've had to endure to get a PS3 of their own, with the company reportedly set to release the first major firmware update for the PS3 alongside the console's debut in Europe in March (which they're still sticking by). The firmware update has been rumored about before, but has now apparently been confirmed by Phil Harrison himself, speaking at a recent event for the Sony-funded Threespeech blog. Most of the updates revealed at this time look to be centered on the PS3's non-gaming abilities, with new XMB multi-tasking capabilities that'll let you do voice or video chat while you browse the XMB or play games, as well as new audio playback animations, additional photo album features, auto-resume for downloads from the PlayStation Store, and "additional XMB display options" -- exactly what that means, we're not so sure. Those with a PSP will also get a few new tricks, including new Remote Play functionality that'll let you access media stored on your PS3 via any WiFi connection. No word on a fix for the problems with PS1 and PS2 games, though we suppose/hope that could be one of the "additional display options."

[Via Joystiq]

As expected, to accompany its spankin' new PS3 console, Sony has a bit of a "refresh" for the PSP, in the form of a 3.0 firmware update that packs a fair bit of functionality. The biggest news is that PlayStation Network downloadable games are now supported, previews of which (pictured) included fan faves like FFVII and Metal Gear Solid, so hopes are high there. The PSP should also now be able to access media stored on your PS3 via WiFi. Other functions include Remote Play, a visual music player, a Camera option under the Photo menu, and an option to disable UMD Auto-Start. A few other options might spark your interest, but you might as well just find 'em out for yourself -- the upgrade is available now via Network Update.

You might've hoped that after years of PS3 strife -- coupled with a couple of weeks in line, of course -- that once you'd forked over your $600 + games + accessories + HDMI, you could finally plop down on the couch and start washing away all the grief with MotoStorm / Genji / Ridge Racer / Resistance, smug in your next-gen digs. Well, you can... after you run a quick firmware update. See, Sony saved its PlayStation Network online service functionality for a version 1.1 update, which can be accessed from a menu item on the PS3 on launch day. Sony says it's also prepping a 3.0 PSP update for late November that will also add PlayStation Network support, along with the ability to access PS3 content via WiFi.

Alright folks, you can put down your pitchforks, drop that class action lawsuit and kill all 20 online petitions you started to try and get Apple to fix the MacBook random shutdown fiasco that has been haunting the Mac faithful these past months. The problem, which has been affectionately termed RSS, "Random Shutdown Syndrome," has finally been addressed by an SMC firmware update for the MacBook. Version 1.1 -- 1.0 battled the infamous "moo" problem -- supposedly "improves the MacBook's internal monitoring system and addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns." Apple also sez: "This update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair." Of course, the proof is in the pudding, so fire up that cracked, brown and mooing MacBook of yours and let this thing work its magic, then let us know your results in the comments. Oh, and before you go looking for the "Shut down randomly" option in your Energy Saver control panel, we'd like to thank whomever is responsible for that amusing Photoshop, the source of which we've totally forgotten.

Toshiba sure does love their firmware updates. Their fourth update in as many months bumps the version number to a nice round 2.0, and promises TrueHD 5.1 support, allowing for full digital reproduction of studio mastered sound with 24-bit/96kHz discrete channels. As our friends at HD Beat astutely point out, it ain't no Blu-ray support, but it's a nice one-up on the competition all the same. No word on when exactly this will drop today, but we wouldn't stray far from the remote if we were you and had an intense craving for yummy TrueHD and expansive version numbers.

So even though Hewlett-Packard is "recalling" some 679,000 Photosmart R707 digital cameras (224,000 of which are in the US), there's no real need to panic, because instead of having to send your model back, performing a simple DIY firmware update will keep your shooter from becoming a flame thrower. Like so many other recalls of the past, this one also involves batteries that can potentially overheat and start a fire, but the problem only occurs if you feed power to the camera when it contains non-rechargeable batteries. Therefore, if you always use rechargeables in your R707, it sounds like you have nothing to worry about, but you single-use AA users shouldn't plug in your cams until you've completed the update, 'kay?