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Pretty soon you'll be able to rip video from the PlayStation 4
During the lead up to the PlayStation 4's launch, Sony promised that it would enable gamers to shut off HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) post-launch and allow unrestricted video capture over HDMI. That day is almost here, as the company's just announced its intention to release two new system updates mostly focused on the console's sharing functionality. Though Sony hasn't set a time frame for either of these two planned updates, the first should arrive in the "upcoming weeks" and will add in that previously mentioned HDCP-off option, as well as video editing tools so gamers can chop up and tweak gameplay footage captured via the Share button. In addition to this, the PS4 will also gain an option to save recorded clips and screenshots to an external USB drive, thus clearing up your system's limited storage space and letting you preserve your gaming conquests. Sony apparently plans to bundle additional features and fixes into this update, but for now it's saying that specifics on just what that entails will come at a later date. Who knows, maybe it'll also usher in VR support for Project Morpheus. Though that's probably us wishing too hard and jumping the gun a bit.
Sony says the PlayStation 4's 'Share' button has been used 100 million times
Sony has a released a bunch of statistics covering the first four months of life of its new baby. Beyond regular sales figures (six million units so far, and nearly 14 million game sales), some of the more interesting numbers relate to how PlayStation gamers are engaging with the console's online features. We're told that half of all PS4 owners have been persuaded to cough up for a PS Plus subscription, which grants access to online multiplayer gaming as well as a number of discounted and free titles. Meanwhile, the 'Share' button on the DualShock 4 controller has apparently been used 100 million times to share recorded game highlights with the PS4 community, and 3.6 million gameplay broadcasts have been streamed over Twitch and Ustream -- a feature that still hasn't been enabled on the Xbox One. And who knows? The PS4's Twitch numbers might have been even higher if people hadn't gotten themselves banned for playing real-live strip poker.
Sony PS4 Share button the result of one first-party developer's eureka moment
To share or not to share was never a question for the creation of the PS4 -- it was always more about the how. Right from the start, Sony's upcoming, next-gen console had been planned with a social networking bent, but as Shuhei Yoshida, the company's head of Worldwide Studios, revealed to Edge, the decision to build a Share button into the DualShock 4 was the result of one first-party developer's eureka moment, not a cross-SCEI compromise. All credit is due Nathan Gary, creative director at Santa Monica Studio (best known for its God of War series), who successfully pitched the concept of a dedicated controller button to the PS4 team; an idea that was not only quickly met with unanimous praise, but also immediately implemented into the final product. It's yet further proof that Sony's learned from its past PS3 fumbling and has crafted a machine for developers, by developers.
Facebook users can now share via Android and iOS apps
Yesterday, Facebook revealed that it was in the process of bringing its website's share feature to mobile apps for iOS and Android. Well, Zuckerberg's crew just made good on its promise, and has released version 5.2 of its app for both platforms. That means that folks using either app can now pass on their witty musings and puppy pictures to all of their online friends with a simple tap in their news feeds. Want in on the action? There are downloads to be had at the source links below.
Google adds same-site recommendations to +1 buttons, but only for platform preview testers
On the eve of its I/O event, Google is continuing to roll out new features, one of which is expanded functionality for its ubiquitous +1 sharing buttons that can be found all over the web (and on this site). For users that are a member of its platform preview test group, other than clicking once to +1 something, or clicking again to share it on Google+, now on mouseover it will display recommended pages as seen above. According to the corresponding blog post, it pulls in related content and stuff shared by friends, and will only display selections from the same domain or subdomain as the page the button is on. Google anticipates this will go live to all users "in the next few weeks", if you can't wait until then hit the more coverage link below to join the preview and give feedback on how well it's working.
Google+ Share button gives you another option aside from plain 'ol +1s
Although Google's had its +1 button all over the web for some time now, helping folks show their allegiance to things they like, it's lacked a dedicated button just for sharing content. That's now changed, as the Google+ development team recently let loose the Share button. The button is similar in appearance to its +1 sibling, but rather than just being a shortcut for quickly slapping content with a virtual high-five, it gives you a way to easily share pages on your Google+ profile. (Yes, you could share through the +1 button, too, but consider this one a bit more focused). Best of all, the Google+ Share button is ready to roll, so move your cursor to the source link below if you'd like to put it on your site or find out more. Happy Liking Sharing!
Kodak's Playtouch 1080p pocket camcorder and EasyShare M590 announced
Kodak just kicked out a pair of devices with its Playtouch pocket camcorder and EasyShare M590 point and shoot. Kodak's $229.95 Playtouch is capable of shooting image stabilized 1080p video with stereo audio to SDHC cards. A 3-inch capacitive touchscreen gives you plenty of room to edit your video (or extract a still) on camera before flipping out the USB arm for a quick PC transfer. Otherwise, an HDMI jack lets you pump that digital keepsake right to the living room television without the PC assist. Rounding things out are an external microphone jack and Share button that makes it easy to push those memories to YouTube or FaceBook, or send via email if that's your preference. Kodak's rather mundane $199.99 EasyShare M590 is being billed as the world's slimmest digital camera with 5x optical zoom. Otherwise, things simmer down with a 2.7-inch LCD, some kind of image stabilization, face recognition, unspecified HD video capture, and microSD card support. And as you'd expect, the M590 also features a Share button that makes tagging and uploading photos and video to social media sites like Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube a snap. M590 image and press releases after the break. Expect both cameras to ship sometime in the fall.
