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ICYMI: Cotton Candy body parts, robotic bartender and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-27934{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-27934, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-27934{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-27934").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Vanderbilt University scientists whipped up some human capillaries by using a cotton candy machine to properly shape channels for the blood vessels. A Kickstarter project is selling a tiny video camera attachment with a flexible cord to aim and drop it into places you normally can't see, like inside a car engine. And the University of Maryland is training a robot to make drinks by watching a human; a process that is far more adorable than you'd first think.
Bitcoin rival rewards you for archiving history instead of doing useless math
Other than generating lucre, Bitcoin mining does nothing but waste of time and energy. That's why researchers from Microsoft and the University of Maryland have developed "Permacoins" which reward you for actually doing something useful: backing up important data to your hard drives. For instance, you could earn crypto-coins by helping store, say, the 200TB US Library of Congress to your own disks. You wouldn't be able to cheat and use Dropbox or Google Drive thanks to an encrypted key, and data would be validated using a "proof of reliability" check. With enough participation, it would provide a safe, distributed backup and enable data to be accessed during outages -- like when the Library of Congress went offline during last year's shutdown. It's just a prototype for now, but researchers reckon a 100 Petabyte data pool could be created if users spent the same on storage that they have on pricy mining rigs.
Gamera II hits new high with unofficial human-powered helicopter altitude record (video)
The University of Maryland team responsible for the Gamera II human-powered helicopter NAA flight time record may be on its way to bagging another one -- this time for altitude. With new freshman pilot Henry Enerson spinning the cranks, the gigantic four-rotor design ascended to eight feet, an unexpectedly lofty level, according to the team. The well-controlled 25 second flight was far less than the record 49.9 seconds Gamera achieved earlier, but the new altitude bodes well for its upcoming Sikorsky Prize attempt. That $250,000 award, unclaimed since 1980, requires a 10-foot altitude to be maintained for one minute, and now looks to be distinctly in the UMD group's sights. Check the video after the break, and marvel at the ungainly quadrocopter's latest aerial exploit.
Scientists use bilayer graphene to develop extra-sensitive photodetector
By now it goes without saying that graphene is something of a darling in the research community, with scientists using the material to develop transistors, batteries and circuits, among other devices. In 2011, MIT researchers discovered graphene's effectiveness as a photodetector, and a team at the University of Maryland has taken that line of thought a few steps further. By using bilayer graphene (two atoms thick instead of one atom thick), the scientists developed a temperature-sensitive device more than 1,000 times faster than existing technologies. Not to mention, it's capable of recognizing a very broad range of light energies, which means it could be useful in everything from biochemical weapons detection to airport body scanners. Still, the UMD researchers have their work cut out for them: the graphene photodetector has a high electrical resistance, and it will require tweaks to absorb enough light to be useful. Still, this is graphene we're talking about -- and we don't expect its popularity to wane any time soon.
Finally, you can play Cho Aniki Zero on your Vita (finally!)
Grandma sure did like playing Rainbow Six: Vegas on that old PSP when you'd make your weekly homage for family dinner, didn't she? "Blap! Blap! Blap!" she'd shout. And things really haven't been the same since you traded up to a Vita, what with its lack of support for many PSP titles. We understand.Thankfully, so does Sony. This morning, the US PlayStation blog announced today's launch of several PSP games on the Vita (including Grandma's fave), as well as a variety of PSP Minis (full list after the break). As usual, if you already own the games digitally for your PSP, all you'll have to do is re-download the files to your PSN-tied Vita. If not, well, you'll have to pony up some virtual cash.Interestingly, Sony also mentioned "improved playability" for some titles beyond the up-res'd graphics – we're checking to see what exactly that means. The line has since been removed from Sony's blog post.
No discounted UMD transfers to Vita for US, angel loses its wings
Hey, America ... no soup for you! Vita apparently means no discounted downloads of your beloved disc-based PSP games as Kotaku reports Sony won't be offering its "UMD Passport" service in the US. Since December, Sony has let existing Japanese PSP owners upgrade UMD games to Vita downloadable copies for around ¥500-1,000 ($6.50 - $13). Penny-pinching US gamers can perhaps console themselves with the fact that they can still get a discount for digital downloads of Vita games. Well, that or make hungry eyes for free at Vitas displayed in kiosks at select stores.
Vita's 'UMD Passport' offers less-than-complete set of games in Japan
If you expected the Vita's "UMD Passport" program to be comprehensive, allowing you access to downloads of all your UMD-based PSP games at launch, you weren't paying attention to the last console generation. Sony posted the list of games available at launch in Japan, including 262 games from publishers like Atlus, Nippon Ichi, Acquire, Kaga Create, Alchemist, Tecmo Koei, and SNK. As of now, no games from major publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, EA, Namco Bandai, Sega, or Konami are available for download. Sony does say elsewhere that other publishers, including all those, are "planning" to support the program. The "discounted" prices for UMD owners to get Vita-playable downloads of their games range from ¥500 ($6.44) to ¥1,500 ($19.38), with one pachislot title as a ¥2,400 ($31) outlier.
'UMD Passport' application moves UMD-based PSP games to the Vita (for a price)
Sony realizes that you, Japanese PlayStation Portable owner, want to keep playing your UMD version of Nano Diver when the PlayStation Vita launches on December 17. The Japanese electronics giant last night announced its "UMD Passport" program, wherein PSP owners can download a free application to register their UMD games and receive a discount on repurchases of said games through the Vita's digital distribution store. The repurchase price varies from game to game, but it averages between 500 and 1,000 yen ($6 to $13), going as high as ¥2,400 ($31). And to get a jump on the conversion process, Sony will be releasing the PSP app on December 6. It's unclear whether the Passport program will arrive Stateside or in Europe when the Vita launches early next year in other territories, but we expect Sony will reveal as much in the coming months. The initial titles included in the program are detailed by Sony here, and the company apparently intends on expanding it to approximately 200 games.
Sony announces UMD Passport program in Japan, offers Vita PSN discounts to UMD owners
When Sony mentioned that the Vita wouldn't support the PSP's existing UMD library, we had to wonder what would become of the little discs. Sony hinted that something was on the way for physical media aficionados at TGS, but wasn't ready to go into detail yet. Today, however, SCEJ announced the UMD Passport program -- a service that will let Japanese PSP owners register UMD games through a PSP app to secure discounts for repurchasing titles on the new console. The discounted games average between ¥500-1,000 (about $6 and $13, respectively) a pop, but can go for as high as ¥2,400. The UMD registration app hits the Japanese PlayStation store on December 6th, and Sony hopes to make the system compatible with roughly 200 titles. Hit the source links below for Sony's official press release and an initial list of Passport compatible games, in Japanese, of course.
Sony looking into UMD download discount for Vita, hedging about PSOne Classics support
It wouldn't be a PlayStation system without complicated backwards compatibility issues. A new Japanese-language FAQ posted by Sony offers some new wrinkles, both potentially good and bad. The FAQ notes that Sony is "considering" a service to offer PSN versions of the UMD games users own for a "special price." This isn't a confirmation, but at least Sony is looking into some method to make it possible to play the UMD games you bought on your Vita. "Details of this service will be announced at a later date." That's the good news. The bad news: the FAQ says that the Vita will play all downloadable PSP games ... except for Game Archives, which is the Japanese label for PSOne Classics, Neo Geo games, and other retro downloads. Sony will have more details about this limitation later, but the fact that there's more to it than "they all work" is troubling. We really hope we'll be able to play the PSOne games we've already bought ... and that we won't have to buy them again in their Android/PlayStation Suite incarnations.
Sony answers more PlayStation Vita questions: no to video output, yes to region-free
We heard earlier at E3 that the PlayStation Vita might be able to do video output via the multiport on the bottom of the handheld, but it's now looking like that won't be the case -- at least according to the official FAQ that Sony has made available. In slightly better news, however, Sony exec Michael Denny said today that, to the best of his knowledge, the PS Vita will indeed be region-free just like the PS3. Otherwise, Sony hasn't provided much more in the way of surprises, but it looks like it is at least leaving the door open to helping folks bring their UMD-bound games with them to the new handheld. While it's ruled out a UMD reader of any sort, Sony says that it will "consider every possibility for support on bought UMD games," although it has nothing to announce at this time. Check out the complete FAQ at the source link below.
PSP UMD games could be re-released on NGP game cards
Backwards compatibility with legacy game formats isn't the sort of make-or-break feature that determines the fate of a new hardware system, but it does score major bonus points with the manufacturer's fan base when it does work -- and elicits plenty of groans when it doesn't. When it comes to Sony's next (generation) portable the answer to "will it play my UMD games" is clearly "no" -- not even the PSP Go supports the original hardware's disc format -- but UMD owners are still hoping the company will do something about it. Speaking with Japanese tech site Gigazine (as translated by Andriasang), a PlayStation representative reiterated that NGP will support the growing list of PSP games available in digital format from the PlayStation Store. Unsurprisingly, Sony has no plans to develop an attachable "UMD reader" for NGP (despite filing a patent that leaves open the possibility), and the UMD-to-digital "good will program" has been dead for 16 months now. Gigazine does report that Sony mentioned plans to re-release original PSP games on the NGP's new game media (flash memory-based cards), though the representative did not detail the possibility further. Certainly, it would be a no-brainer -- even if card-based re-releases could generate some "ill will" from existing UMD owners -- and the expanded storage size of the proposed new card format suggests that old PSP games could be sold in single-card collections or added to NGP game cards as bonuses. Or how about PSP re-releases with "NGP" treatment? Admit it -- you'd buy Peace Walker again if dual-analog and touch controls were added, not to mention some MGS4-ish graphics.
Lord of Arcana grants PSP an audience on Jan. 25
Finally, Square Enix is giving us a chance to play a Monster Hunter-style action RPG -- and on the PSP. How novel! Lord of Arcana will be released in North America, on both PSN and UMD, on January 25. While our own experience with the bloody PSP adventure didn't leave us terribly impressed, the game was directed by Deadly Premonition creator Hidetaka "Swery65" Suehiro. So maybe it'll turn out to be a misunderstood, quirky masterpiece, instead of just a bad game.
DJ Max Portable 3 spins on UMD October 14, PSN October 19
PM Studios has announced two release dates for the upcoming UMD and PSN versions of DJ Max Portable 3. The UMD version will be available on October 14, while the PSN version will be available on October 19.
Sony's Andrew House: PSP Go launched in part to 'learn more about what the consumer wanted'
Sony's certainly been fairly candid when discussing the PSP Go in the past, but SCEE CEO Andrew House went quite a bit further than usual in discussing the download-only handheld with MCV recently. When asked if he considered the PSP Go to be a success, he responded by saying that it was "introduced in a mature lifecycle to learn more about what the consumer wanted," and that Sony has "definitely learned a lot," adding that "one of the reasons we launched PSP Go was to understand where that consumer behavior was going." He further went on to say that Sony was "getting signals from consumers that this was the kind of device that they wanted," but says that Sony needs to "recognize that consumers like their packaged media library." Does that mean a return to physical media for the eventual PSP 2? House unsurprisingly wouldn't say, but we have a feeling Sony will be getting plenty of questions about it at E3 next week.
DJ Max Portable 3 coming to PSP in 2010
If you've ever found yourself in the proverbial club (perhaps with a bottle full of bub), then you may be familiar with Pentavision's DJ Max -- a Beatmania-like music-rhythm series with some of the most intense gameplay in the genre. Today, PM Studios has announced it will publish DJ Max Portable 3 in the US. PM Studios promises "more than 50 songs, unique modes, customizable options, and a yet to be announced new feature." The game is set to launch sometime in 2010 on UMD and as a download on PSN.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands returns to 2D gameplay on PSP
Excuse the pun, but we had nearly forgotten about the PSP version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. While Ubisoft has been busy promoting the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii counterparts, it's only now that it has unveiled the PSP version. Joel Vignola, Ubisoft producer, debuted a new video on the PlayStation.Blog (embedded after the break) and emphasized that the PSP version is a "unique game built from the ground up" and "is not a port from any other system." While the console versions are full 3D adventures, the PSP version appears to play on a 2D field, akin to Prince of Persia Classic. However, Vignola clarified a bit further, describing the game as a "3D sidescroller, because the world itself is 3D and we play with depth ... the Prince [is] not always locked onto an axis." As with Assassin's Creed Bloodlines, The Forgotten Sands is promising connectivity between the PS3 and PSP versions of the game. By connecting the two, you'll be awarded bonus XP in the PS3 version and the original Sands of Time costume for the PSP version. Hopefully, the similarities with the PSP Assassin's Creed end there -- Bloodlines wasn't exactly a critical darling. The PSP version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will be available on UMD and PSN on the same day as its console counterparts: May 18.
Hot Shots Tennis: Get A Grip on June 29
It feels like it's been too long since the last Hot Shots game. That'll change in late June, though, with the arrival of Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip for PSP. According to PlayStation Blog, this isn't a port of the 2007 PS2 Hot Shots Golf spin-off, but rather a new Hot Shots Tennis game, featuring an "all-new tennis adventure." And by adventure, they mean it. The new Story Mode will require exploration, as you travel the world "spreading tennis love to everyone and anyone you meet." Sounds a bit like Mario Tennis, no? New to the US version of Hot Shots Tennis will be the Killzone Helghast character (pictured). Finally -- a Killzone game filled with color! Get a Grip will launch simultaneously on UMD and PSN on June 29.
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake squeezes onto UMD and PSN April 27
If our comprehensive video preview of Fat Princess for PSP whet your appetite for more, you'll be glad to know that the full experience isn't too far away. Fistful of Cake will be appearing on both UMD and PSN on April 27, promising "new game modes, new maps, a new extended storyline for single player." And although the single player options have been greatly expanded, multiplayer remains a big focus for the game, with 8-player Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure support. The PlayStation.Blog features a Q&A, a new trailer (posted after the break) and box art. Curiously missing from the announcement, however, is a price. An SCEA rep told us the price has yet to be "100% confirmed," and that an announcement would be forthcoming.
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe on UMD in North America this April
For that cross-section of the PSP audience that likes both PixelJunk Monsters and tangible objects, Q-Games's Dylan Cuthbert has announced a UMD release of PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe, due to launch in North America at "participating retail outlets" on April 27 for $19.99. The tower defense title has been available digitally since last fall. Interestingly, Cuthbert originally cited piracy as the reason for the lack of a worldwide release for the UMD of Deluxe, previously released in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Try not to pirate this one, so we can see more nice discs like this in the future.
