Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wave of mutilation ends as Best Buy, Sony and Microsoft take a stab at clamshell-free packaging initiative]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/15/wave-of-mutilation-ends-as-best-buy-sony-and-microsoft-take-a-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/15/wave-of-mutilation-ends-as-best-buy-sony-and-microsoft-take-a-s/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/15/wave-of-mutilation-ends-as-best-buy-sony-and-microsoft-take-a-s/#commentsFiled under:


It looks like Amazon started a trend last week when they announced their "Frustration Free Packaging" initiative, which boils down to the elimination of clamshell-style packaging for a lot of their top-sellers, and the introduction of more eco-friendly materials, like good old-fashioned (recycled) cardboard. According to The New York Times, a number of other companies, including Best Buy, Sony, and Microsoft are joining the club in eschewing heavy duty materials in favor of less aggressive ones. Anything that reduces our level of annoyance with the retail experience while pitching in to help out our increasingly threatened Mother Earth is something we'll gladly get behind. And we're pretty sure our dentist will agree.

Wave of mutilation ends as Best Buy, Sony and Microsoft take a stab at clamshell-free packaging initiative originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, pal -- remember that 160GB PS3 Drake's Fortune bundle we told you about back in August? Well thanks to the totally awesome skills of one intrepid reader, we now know that they're available for purchasing pleasure at your local Best Buy (and other spots, we like to imagine). From what we can tell based on that extremely blurry photo you see, the package will sell for a holiday-destroying $499.99, so you'd better hope grandma drops a big check on you this season.

[Thanks, Nasser]

160GB PS3 'Drake's Fortune' bundle caught in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>160gbbest buyBestBuybundledrakes fortuneDrakesFortunein the wildInTheWildplaystation 3Playstation3ps3sonyspy shotSpyShotSat, 15 Nov 2008 19:13:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony announces new CMOS sensors, 12+ megapixel cameraphones coming soon]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/13/sony-announces-new-cmos-sensors-12-megapixel-cameraphones-comi/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/13/sony-announces-new-cmos-sensors-12-megapixel-cameraphones-comi/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/13/sony-announces-new-cmos-sensors-12-megapixel-cameraphones-comi/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sony announces new CMOS sensors, 12+ megapixel cameraphones coming soon
If you've enjoyed the point-and-shoot megapixel race, which has pushed sensor resolutions in your average 3X zoom compact cam well into the teens -- leaving a sad trail of dark and noisy holiday pictures in its wake -- you're going to just love the mobile phone megapixel race. Samsung's 10 megapixel SCH-B600 currently holds the lead, but Sony's got a ringer chomping at the bit with the Exmor IMX060PQ CMOS sensor, which, paired with its matching auto-focus lens module, will turn some lucky handset into a 12.25 megapixel shooter when it enters the race in March. Sony has also announced 5.15 and 8.11 megapixel sensors, but really, anything not in double digits is so last year.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading Sony announces new CMOS sensors, 12+ megapixel cameraphones coming soon

Sony announces new CMOS sensors, 12+ megapixel cameraphones coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We speculated in our review of the new iPod touch that Apple had designs on more than just consumption of music and video, and now an interview with company VP of iPod and iPhone product marketing Greg Joswiak all but confirms that sights are set on the gaming market. In a conversation with T3, Joswiak boasts that the devices are breaking through as a viable alternative to established handhelds (such as the PSP or DS) due mostly in part to competitive software pricing and the company's content delivery system. While much of the interview focuses on iPod sales figures, it does delve into more detailed comparisons of platforms, with Joswiak stating, "The 3D graphic power here [iPod touch] is significantly greater than what you have here [picks up Nintendo DS]. So this allows people to do significantly higher quality games." While it's not unusual to hear Apple's honchos hyping their products like they just skipped across some water to heal a few lepers, it is a new trend to see the company aggressively going after gaming platform mainstays so directly. With Sony and Nintendo just getting up to speed on non-traditional content delivery, Apple may find an edge come holiday season with casual gamers -- the real question is whether the hardcore will bite.

[Via Eurogamer; Thanks, Zach M.]

Apple's Greg Joswiak touts iPod touch as the future of handheld gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don't have any hard sales figures in front of us or anything, but we can't imagine that Sony has moved too many (or just two, actually) of its mylo 2 "Internet Devices" since launching it this past January. To that end, the outfit is hacking a full Benjamin from the purchase price, bringing the handheld down to an entirely more palatable $199.99. Both the black and white versions are being sold right now with the instant rebate tacked on, and the offer is good until January 31st of next year -- which definitely means the mylo 3 is due for a February 1, 2009 release.

[Via Pocketables]

Sony smartly hacks $100 off of its mylo 2 before the holidays originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony's new Reader comes close to greatness, but is a bit too dim
Sony's lithe new PRS-700 conquers many of the most annoying faults of Amazon's chunky little fire-starter, but falls just short of greatness according to MobileTechReview. First with the good: the touchscreen enables page turning with the flick of a finger (or stylus), note taking via virtual keyboard, responds quite well, and doesn't even smudge! It supports PDF and Word files, can be used landscaped, and even has LEDs built into the screen's border for reading in the dark. Sadly, though, that display can't even match the contrast of its predecessors, which are plenty murky to begin with, and with no wireless of any sort you're stuck filling this one via USB, SD, or MS Duo. In other words there's still no perfect choice in the world of the e-ink reader -- but it is awfully hard to ignore the Reader's sleek exterior when compared to the Kindle's distinctively sci-fi doorstop look.

Sony's new Reader close to greatness, but a bit too dim originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yeah, we here at Engadget are hardened cynics -- our cold, black hearts have closed off to all but the most extraordinary tech-related stories, and we don't talk about the triumph of the human spirit a lot, but PlayStation 3 forum user KitsuneYume has us stepping outside our usual box today. With the help of an engineer, he made an "adaptive controller" that allows him to game with the pros despite serious disabilities. 20 out of 25 functions are accounted for by the system, and he uses his fingers, toes, and even his tongue to play -- your regular, everyday controller mod it ain't. The creator said he uploaded the pictures to make sure folks who might need it are aware the technology exists, as he contacted Sony a while back and they weren't able to tell him where to look. We hope this helps gets the word out, because we think everyone should have and chance to lie, cheat, and steal their way through Fallout 3.

[Thanks, Jason]

PS3 gamer overcomes disability with custom controller, triumphs in l33t3st way imaginable originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Custom Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 back on eBay
A few moment's hesitation prevent you from placing the winning bid on that sweet, customized Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 a few weeks back? It's okay, we've all been there -- sitting at the screen, cursor hovering over the "Bid Now" button, wracked with indecision, finally saying "Why not?" just as the timer hits 0. Usually that's cause for a lifetime of bitter regret, but this time you're in luck. The winning bid of $17,000 turned out to be bogus, so the creators have placed the machine on eBay again, ready for you to ponder anew. Now, before you make some snide remarks about $17k being way too much for a tarted up PS3, take a look at the attention to detail here, and remember that 15 percent of the proceeds are going straight to the Child's Play charity -- a factor that should hopefully reduce the vehemence of those remarks by roughly a fifth.

Custom Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 back on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Got a good marketing hook? Great, give it a nice thick slather across some related bits of your consumer electronics and prepare to rake in the cash. With MD and SACD formats not exactly dominating the audio masses, Sony's back with a new format by the name Blu-spec CD. It takes advantage of (you guessed it) Sony's Blu-ray Disc technology to press new high-quality discs while somehow maintaining compatibility with regular ol' red-laser CD players. How? No idea, really -- it's some kind of secret, proprietary Sony magic hidden deep inside of Google's Japanese-to-English language translator. Perhaps an English press release will be issued later in the day. It does seem that Sony will kick out about 60 Blu-spec CD classics (Miles Davis' Kind of Blue for example) in December ranging in prices from ¥2,500 (about $25) to ¥4,200 ($42). Ouch.

P.S. That weeping CD logo above is our Photoshoppery, not Sony's.

[Via Impress]

Sony turns CDs blue with new Blu-spec CD standard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP-3000 put under microscope, interlacing issue exposed
You know those complaints about the ugly, old-school looking interlacing lines that many (ourselves included) have reported seeing on the new PSP-3000? The specific issue has been uncovered -- but not by Sony. A group of concerned French gamers with a 40x microscope think it all comes down to that most mellow of colors: blue. LCDs are comprised of RGB pixels that, combined, form all the rainbow of hues in between. As you can see in the picture above, the PSP-2000's LCD (left) used pixels in a vertical orientation, and the blue pixels were fairly light in color. On the PSP-3000 (right), the pixels are now arranged horizontally, and the blue ones are far darker than before. The dark horizontal lines result in the heinous interlacing, an effect that any Command & Conquer player will tell you wasn't even cool in the 90's. Sony's already called this a "feature" and not a flaw, so if you absolutely must buy a PSP this holiday season the folks at Logic-Sunrise who took the above pics recommend you buy an older 2000-series -- while you still can.

[Thanks Pierce]

PSP-3000 put under microscope, interlacing issue exposed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony and Universal launching POP
Sure, downloading songs and movies is easy these days (even when done legally), but what if you don't have a computer or internet connection? "How would I be reading this post, then?" you might ask. Fair point, but there must be dozens of other people out there with portable media players yet no way to fill them, and for this market Sony and Universal have partnered to create POP, the "instant entertainment 24/7" vending machine hitting the UK this holiday season. Unlike other boxes that sell media players, this one sells content to fill them, downloaded straight to a memory card, flash drive, PMP, or other (USB-supporting) portable device. You can also purchase media-based content on DVD and Blu-ray if you like, games too, all of which "pop" out shrink wrapped and in full retail garb. Being able to buy a Blu-ray disc at midnight on a dark corner sounds mildly interesting, but with no mention of file formats or DRM or anything else, you won't find us sticking our memory cards into this thing's slots anytime soon.

Sony and Universal launching POP "instant entertainment" vending machines in UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One day later and Sony's battery recall has already tripled in size. What started as a recall of 35,000, just hit 100,000 (75,000 of which are HP related) and now includes Li-ion batteries used in some Acer laptops as well as the original list of Dells, HPs, and Toshibas. All the laptops were sold between 2004 and 2005, two-thirds of which were sold outside the US. What's most troubling is that Sony claims the faulty batteries are from the same unit that made the recalled batteries from 2 years ago.

So... Apple, you next?

Sony battery recall hits 100,000 -- adds Acer to the list originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We heard some pretty far-fetched stuff back in June to the tune of a break-apart DualShock 3, and lo and behold, it seems that someone at Sony Computer Entertainment America is taking the idea quite seriously. A recent patent application was filed by the company, and it fairly clearly lays out the very kind of design we'd (not really) been expecting. In essence, the gamepad would consist of two pieces, each of which would utilize an "ultrasonic tracking system" for some type of game console / peripheral to recognize 3D inputs. Best of all, the approach here sounds significantly different enough from what's used in the Wiimote that Sony could avoid months upon months of litigation -- imagine that, right? It's hard to say whether this stroke of genius will ever amount to anything, but at least there's a chance, however minuscule.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Sony patent app details motion sensing break-apart controller originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ruh roh. We're really, really hoping this isn't just the first of another long string of laptop battery recalls, but the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with a slew of other outfits, has just announced a voluntary recall of around 35,000 Sony laptop batteries. As you'd expect, the Li-ions in question "can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers," and there have already been 19 reports of overheating including 17 reports of flames / fire and two reports of consumers getting mildly burnt. For the full list (and it's pretty long) of affected laptop models from HP / HP Compaq, Toshiba and Dell, be sure to give the read link some serious attention. Oh, and stop using that battery pronto if yours is one of the afflicted.

Recalled: 35,000 volatile Sony batteries in Dell / HP / Toshiba laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's seamless, and then there's Foo's PSP mod. Easily one of the most remarkably clean gaming mods we've seen to date, this here hack involved an old socket originally intended for a cellphone, steady hands and an unwanted Super Nintendo controller (we're simplifying things, but work with us here). In the end, the mod left a nearly-flush port on the rear of the handheld where a hacked SNES controller could be plugged in for input, and better still, the connector doubled as a PSP kickstand. The whole concept was conceived after someone with limited use of one hand contacted Foo for help; needless to say, this workaround now has that individual in business. Hop on past the break to see it in action.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

Continue reading Video: PSP beautifully modded to accept SNES controller

Video: PSP beautifully modded to accept SNES controller originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seriously, calm down a minute. Your world has not just gotten infinitely better, although hearing the words "PlayStation" and "open platform" in the same phrase may make you think otherwise. In a relatively quiet announcement made at Casual Connect in Kiev, Ukraine, Sony Europe's George Bain proclaimed that developers would "no longer have to submit a game for content approval," effectively making the PS2 "an open platform." He pointed out examples from Russia and India, noting that they could now "create low-development cost titles and release them in their market." In all honesty, we have our doubts that this decision will make any real waves in North America, though Bain did mention a "global approval system" to replace the separated processes currently serving Europe, Japan and America. Now, if SCEA comes out and says something similar about the PS3, then you'll hear some real excitement in our voice.

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy of GamesAreFun]

Sony's PS2 effectively becomes "an open platform" in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's no doubt that Microsoft's Xbox 360 will have the price advantage this holiday season, and if you were hoping to see a bona fide price cut following Sony's introduction of the $399.99 80GB PlayStation 3, you'll probably be waiting 'til late 2009. Speaking at the Gamer 3.0 conference in London this week, Sony's own Ray Maguire was quoted as saying that the pressure for a price drop from consumers was always there, but given that it "has a business to run" and shareholders to please, it probably won't be decreasing the PS3's price before the end of 2008. He also stated that "at the moment, there's a market place for the PS3," and that "the price of the console [won't] be an issue at all." In all honesty, he's probably right -- after all, this will be the first holiday season where Blu-ray isn't competing with some other physical HD format, and c'mon, you know you'll pay a premium to dabble in Life with PlayStation.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Sony makes it pretty clear: no PS3 price drops this holiday season originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh Rolly... we know you're an overpriced, 2GB dancing robot with convoluted controls and questionable sound quality. But dammit, your impractical, big-corporate ways have gnawed a soft-spot deep into the noxious cesspool we call a heart. Now this: Rolly model SEP-50BT with Bluetooth control from your cellphone or laptop. Shipping in Japan on November 21st for an expected ¥40,000 or about $427. Sold. Watch it all unfold in the video after the break.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Sony's Rolly learns the Bluetooth trick

Sony's Rolly learns the Bluetooth trick originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bluetoothjapanrollysep-50btsonyTue, 28 Oct 2008 04:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony simplifies PSP-3000 lineup, only offering one SKU]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/27/sony-simplifies-psp-3000-lineup-only-offering-one-sku/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/27/sony-simplifies-psp-3000-lineup-only-offering-one-sku/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/27/sony-simplifies-psp-3000-lineup-only-offering-one-sku/#commentsFiled under:


Hope all you would-be PSP buyers out there are into that PSP-3000 Ratchet & Clank Entertainment Pack that just went on sale a couple weeks ago, because it's going to be the only bundle available from here on out. That's the word straight from Sony, which says that "ongoing discussions" with retailers have led it to kill the previously-announced $169 4GB Memory PSP-3000 bundle in favor of offering a single SKU -- although the company helpfully points out that you can still score a 4GB PSP Memory Stick PRO Duo for an additional $45. Yeah, thanks for the tip, guys. The current Mystic Silver bundle will be joined by a Piano Black version sometime in December, so you're not totally limited option-wise, but we're not exactly pumped about throwing extra money at a game we don't necessarily want -- we'd happily drop the extra cash on a non-interlaced screen, however.

Sony simplifies PSP-3000 lineup, only offering one SKU originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We first caught wind of a slightly revamped PSP months ago, and the long-awaited handheld -- complete with a new, fancier and in some cases more dreadful display -- finally hit US shelves this month. For those that picked one of these up and have spent some quality time digging into the latest firmware, how are you liking things? Particularly for those that upgraded, are you pleased with the new build? Are you being plagued with those mysterious screen problems features? Could you stand to see a few more things tweaked for the PSP-4000? We suspect there will be quite a few mixed messages flying in this one, so let's get those comments rolling.

How would you change Sony's PSP-3000? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featureshow would you changeHowWouldYouChangeHWYCplaystation portablePlaystationPortablepsppsp-3000sonyFri, 24 Oct 2008 18:32:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Home hacked, the search for backup exploits begins]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/23/playstation-home-hacked-the-search-for-backup-exploits-begins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/23/playstation-home-hacked-the-search-for-backup-exploits-begins/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/23/playstation-home-hacked-the-search-for-backup-exploits-begins/#commentsFiled under:

Hackers, like life, will find a way. Sony knows that all too well thanks to the PSP, but so far the PlayStation 3 has stood strong in the face of legions of nerds trying to find a way to exploit it. A potentially major breakthrough may have been made, though, as well-known PS3 hacker StreetskaterFU (we've no idea what he's going for with that name -- really) has managed to decrypt the beta client for Sony's PlayStation Home service. Curious devs can now poke around in the files looking for a way to exploit the newish in-game XMB functionality, potentially allowing homebrew apps and game backups without hard drive swapping. There's no guarantee it will lead anywhere in the end, but you don't care either way, right? Our upstanding readership would never participate in such heinously illegal activities.

[Thanks, James]

PlayStation Home hacked, the search for backup exploits begins originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupsdecrypteddecryptionhackhackshomehomebrewin-game-xmbpiracyplaystation 3playstation homeps3reverse engineerreverse engineeringsonystreetskaterfuxmbThu, 23 Oct 2008 19:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony's VAIO TT gets high marks in full review, still painfully pricey]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/22/sonys-vaio-tt-gets-high-marks-in-full-review-still-painfully-p/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/22/sonys-vaio-tt-gets-high-marks-in-full-review-still-painfully-p/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/22/sonys-vaio-tt-gets-high-marks-in-full-review-still-painfully-p/#commentsFiled under:


We already detailed the basics of Sony's VAIO TT -- you know, the outfit's slap in the face to the netbook arena -- earlier this month, but the crew over at CNET had a chance to benchmark the unit and toss out some quantifiable talking points. Overall, critics found it just as appealing as we did, but they couldn't help but point out just how debilitating the insane price tag is. Of note, they weren't particularly wowed with the sheer performance, but the magnificent battery life (nearly 4-hours in a video playback drain test) and the speedy SSDs were gushed all over. At the end of the day, this thing is still too expensive for the majority of laptop buyers, but those not alarmed by the $2,000+ sticker should hit the read link for a look at the full writeup alongside a few benchmarks.

Sony's VAIO TT gets high marks in full review, still painfully pricey originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dpreview tackles Sony's A900: 'Highly recommended' but with caveats
Most consumers won't be able to get their hands on Sony's new 24+ megapixel A900 for at least another week or so, but dpreview has already had its way with one, putting this full-frame body through its paces in a typically exhaustive review. Overall findings are much the same as the site's earlier impressions, with the main knocks being slow (but accurate) focus speed and noticeable noise when shooting at anything greater than ISO 400, making the camera's ISO 6400 mode borderline useless. However, the hefty, 850g magnesium alloy body is "incredibly solid" and its bevy of features, including 5fps burst shooting and HDMI output, make it a solid value, too. Overall the A900 sounds quite good, though far from perfect, so unless you already have a closet full of compatible lenses you might just want to wait a month and see how Canon's EOS 5D Mark II fares when run through the same ringer. If nothing else it'll be $300 cheaper.

Sony's A900 reviewed: 'Highly recommended' but with caveats originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ruh roh. Seems that swanky new LCD on Sony's PSP-3000 could be garnering more complaints than anything else. If you'll recall, the aforesaid system was touted as having a brighter, better screen than the PSP-2000, but now the PlayStation forums are filling up with irate PSP-3000 buyers who are experiencing unexplained scanlines and totally peculiar interlacing problems. As you can see above, the 3000's screen looks noticeably worse than that of the 2000, and while we always hope that these issues are contained, we have at least one Engadget staffer and a Joystiq comrade who can attest to this being real. SCEA has been contacted and is currently "looking into" the matter -- we won't dare say that r-word just yet, but this doesn't look particularly good on the surface. We'll keep you posted.

[Via Joystiq]

Update: A Japanese Sony Computer Entertainment representative has informed us that the interlacing-like lines are just "features" of the new LCD, and currently, there are no plans to fix it with a future software update since it is in the hardware.

Sony "looking into" PSP-3000 screen interlacing problems originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony didn't want to make a big deal about this (so humble, that Sony) but the PlayStation 3's recent 2.50 firmware update has a few extra additions aimed straight at home theater buffs. First up is a place to enter your DivX VOD Registration code -- necessary if you want to get any of that Sony Pictures or Warner Bros. DivX-encoded video that's on the way -- along with new Sequential Playback and 50Hz video output settings, plus support for chroma upsampling & Mosquito Noise Reduction video enhancement on homemade Blu-ray discs and DVDs. On a more minor note, the BD/DVD settings section has been renamed just Video Settings, while the Cinema Conversion and Upscale options are getting all their mail delivered to BD/DVD Cinema Conversion and BD/DVD Upscaler, respectively. Peep the PlayStation site for the rest of the exciting details (there's a German keyboard layout change that is not to be missed), and then go back to watching Hulu in a tiny box with a poor framerate in your newly Flash-enabled browser.

[Via PS3 Blog]

Sony details PS3 firmware 2.50 upgrades: DivX VOD support, AV tweaks originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that the PSP-3000 (or PSP Brite, as our Joystiq friends like to call it) has hit the streets, it was only natural for its innards to be splayed for all the world to see -- it's all part of the circle of life, or some similarly cliche lyric. We wouldn't really know where to begin running through these parts and figuring out what's new, but Impress Watch says it's pretty much the LCD getting all the love here, and that otherwise they're seeing way fewer internal changes than they saw when Sony released the PSP-2000. Sounds about right to us, but we're really just in it for the senseless violence of it all.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

PSP-3000 ripped to shreds for your enjoyment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dissecteddissectionpsppsp-3000sonysplayedThu, 16 Oct 2008 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony starts shipping VAIO JS series all-in-one desktop]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/sony-starts-shipping-vaio-js-series-all-in-one-desktop/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/sony-starts-shipping-vaio-js-series-all-in-one-desktop/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/sony-starts-shipping-vaio-js-series-all-in-one-desktop/#commentsFiled under:

Sony's VAIO JS series, which was introduced at CEDIA alongside two larger siblings, is finally on sale and shipping... if you're after the VGC-JS110J/S, that is. Sony's initial plan was to have the full line out and about by "mid-October," though just the bottom-end $999.99 model is currently ready to ship at Amazon. We'd expect the other variations to follow suit shortly, and if you're still trying to make up your mind if this is the all-in-one for you, why not take a look at a review?

[Via ComputerMonger]

Sony starts shipping VAIO JS series all-in-one desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-in-oneall-in-one pcAll-in-onePcJSnow availablenow shippingNowAvailableNowShippingshipshippingshipssonyVAIOVGC-JS110JWed, 15 Oct 2008 16:37:00 EST<![CDATA[PS3 + SSD = faster load times, shattered budgets]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/ps3-ssd-faster-load-times-shattered-budgets/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/ps3-ssd-faster-load-times-shattered-budgets/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/ps3-ssd-faster-load-times-shattered-budgets/#commentsFiled under: ,

PS3 + SSD = faster load times, shattered budgets
Sitting idle while your new PS3 game installs is painful, but since it's all in the interest of reducing subsequent load times it's worth the wait, right? Not for the impatient sods at ExtremeTech, who tried to speed things up further by swapping out their original 60GB PS3's HDD with Intel's hot new 80GB X25-M SSD. The result? Sadly, those multi-minute installs from disc were largely unaffected, since the limitation here is Blu-ray drive speed and not disk speed. However, installs of downloaded demos were upwards of 30-40 percent faster, as were post-installation load times in most games. That's an impressive boost, but at a cost of about $600 for the SSD itself you'll be spending about 50 percent more than an entire PS3 of the 80GB spinning disk variety. In other words, this one's not for the frugal modders, but it is so choice if you have the means.

PS3 + SSD = faster load times, shattered budgets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Soon-ish" has turned to "now-ish." PSP owners eager to get their minds into the PlayStation Network (and thus, the PS Store) right on their handheld can now do so... right after they suck down the freshly released firmware 5.0, of course. Aside from the obvious changes, the PlayStation format software can now be output in full-screen size on a connected device, the sleep timer feature can now be used under [Music], the system automatically reverts to USB mode when a USB cable is connected and the [Original] theme has been redesigned. Get it while the gettin's good.

Sony pushes out firmware 5.0 for PSP originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Given that a PSP-3000 Ratchet & Clank Entertainment Pack managed to sneak out a few days back (and, you know, being that today's the official launch day and all), you shouldn't be too floored to hear that the altogether brighter PlayStation Portable is now available across North America. 'Course, you'll have to fork over $199.99 for the aforementioned bundle if you want it today -- the less-frills black PSP-3000 kit (with just a 4GB Memory Stick) should be around next month.

Sony's PSP-3000 now available across North America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So what do you think they take pictures of in an FCC lab when they've got an 8-megapixel cameraphone handy? Oh, come on -- you know the technicians lucky enough to fiddle with fresh gadget after delicious, fresh gadget as they burn through specific absorption rate paperwork engage in a little extracurricular activity from time to time. Our guess, honestly, is that they probably snap that scary apparatus that looks like a human head made out of gelatin and MMS it to their daughter with a message like "look what I found in the ditch, honey!" Of course, that prank only works once before little Julie figures out what daddy's up to, then all hell breaks loose as she tips off the gadget blogs that there's an unannounced Sony Ericsson on the way. Yeah, the C905. Thanks, Julie.

Sony Ericsson's 8-megapixel C905 makes sweet love to the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tired of watching Amazon Video on Demand, Dailymotion and YouTube videos on your BRAVIA Internet Video Link? Coming through on its promise to send Hancock to Sony HDTV owners first, Sony Pictures is offering the flick (in 720p or 480p, depending on bandwidth) for $9.99 starting October 28 through November 10, and even throwing in a free Blu-ray copy after it's released November 24. We'll have to wait and see if the Hancock At-Home Premiere is a one of a kind promotion (note: the stream is "valued" at $29.99) or a regular benefit to owning a BRAVIA and accompanying $299 add-on, but we can't help thinking this would be alot more interesting if it were offered over the PlayStation Network.

[Via Sony PR]

Hancock streaming home to BRAVIA HDTVs ahead of Blu-ray release for $9.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-raybraviadmx-nv1hancockinternet video linkInternetVideoLinkivlsonyvideo on demandVideoOnDemandwill smithWillSmithTue, 14 Oct 2008 10:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Metal Gear Solid 4 Bluetooth headset now shipping to ears everywhere]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-now-shipping-to-ears-everyw/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-now-shipping-to-ears-everyw/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-now-shipping-to-ears-everyw/#commentsFiled under: ,

This is it, soldiers. The day you've been anticipating has finally arrived. Okay, so maybe that's a build up not deserved by the lowly retail version of the Metal Gear Solid 4 Bluetooth headset, but seriously, we've been waiting ages for this thing to ship. Like, so long that the whole MGS4 aura has already come and gone. Those still firmly planted in Snake's posse can choose to prove their fanhood by snagging this thing now for $59.99; if all goes well, it should be headed your way in a matter of business days. Over and out.

[Via LogicBuy]

Metal Gear Solid 4 Bluetooth headset now shipping to ears everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>availabilebluetoothbluetooth headsetBluetoothHeadsetBT headsetBtHeadsetheadsetkonamimetal gear solidmetal gear solid 4metal gear solid IVMetalGearSolidMetalGearSolid4MetalGearSolidIvMGS4now shippingNowShippingpelicanplaystation 3Playstation3PS3shipshippingsonySun, 12 Oct 2008 06:11:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP-3000 sneaks out a bit early, suffers an unboxing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/11/psp-3000-sneaks-out-a-bit-early-suffers-an-unboxing/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/11/psp-3000-sneaks-out-a-bit-early-suffers-an-unboxing/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/11/psp-3000-sneaks-out-a-bit-early-suffers-an-unboxing/#commentsFiled under: ,


Due to be launched next Tuesday, the PSP-3000 Ratchet & Clank Entertainment Pack has managed to slip into at least one Best Buy a few days early, where it was quickly snatched up by friendly tipster Aaron G. He sent us a few unboxing shots out of the kindness of his heart, and now he's undoubtedly too engrossed in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets and that ultra-bright screen to pay us much heed. Oh Nicolas Cage, what a charmer you are.

Gallery: PSP-3000 sneaks out a bit early, suffers an unboxing

PSP-3000 sneaks out a bit early, suffers an unboxing originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>psppsp 3000psp-3000Psp3000sonyunboxingSat, 11 Oct 2008 12:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony has a PS3 controller charger, let us show you it]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/sony-has-a-ps3-controller-charger-let-us-show-you-it/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/sony-has-a-ps3-controller-charger-let-us-show-you-it/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/sony-has-a-ps3-controller-charger-let-us-show-you-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

Even with today's wireless video game controllers, you can't stay untethered forever. After a few hours of gaming on the PlayStation 3, you'll have to plug in that SIXAXIS or DualShock 3 USB cable to charge. Starting December 18th, Sony Japan will offer an AC adapter intended for PS3 controllers at a price of ¥2,800 (just under $30). Like third party solutions we've seen, it has two USB ports so you'll be able to do two controllers or toss in a Bluetooth headset. Nothing yet on availability outside of Japan, but if we get word we'll be all over it, 'cause we feel slightly guilty for leaving the PS3 on overnight to charge -- what with the world's dwindling energy supply and all.

Sony has a PS3 controller charger, let us show you it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's not too often we get to toy around with a $4,449.99 laptop (these start at around $2,000), but that's precisely what we were able to do when Sony's packed-to-the-hilt VAIO TT (VGN-TT198U to be precise) arrived on our doorstop. The model we received included dual 128GB SSDs, a Blu-ray writer, 11.1-inch LED-backlit display, HDMI output, built-in MOTION EYE webcam, 802.11n WiFi, a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Bluetooth and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. The 2.87-pound unit is essentially a huge thumb of the nose to netbooks everywhere, boasting a frame that's in the same ballpark (in terms of size) with innards and a price tag that contrast sharply. For those just interested in seeing what south of five large can buy you these days, head on down to the gallery below; if you're actually considering one of these puppies, hop on the past the break for a few impressions.

Gallery: Sony VAIO TT: unboxing and hands-on