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Pantech CEO exits stage left
According to an "exclusive" report by Telecoms Korea, Pantech CEO and Co-President Sung-Kyu Lee will be letting go of the company's reigns after a very short time at the helm -- fourteen months, to be exact. Paving significant inroads into the Americas (Helio and AT&T come immediately to mind) must have proven to be a terribly expensive venture, as poor financial performance is being tossed around as the likely reason behind the changing of the guard. Current Chairman Byeong-Yeop Park, who has thus far shared the presidency with Lee, will apparently take sole ownership of the title in addition to his present duties at the head of the board. For what it's worth, rumor has it that Lee's resignation was opposed by the board, and if this dude had anything to do with the Ocean, we're a little opposed, too.
Kaz Hirai talks PSP, denies redesign
Nintendo fans have Reggie. We have Kaz. There's no real new info in his interview with Gamespot, but it's always interesting when a Sony exec goes on the record about the system. Here are some bullet points summarizing what he said: Sony is still "hard at work" on Connect. (Note: It was originally supposed to come out in March.) PSone downloads will come "close" to the PS3 launch. "Obviously, we certainly are not going to have 1,200 titles come out at once. You also need to realize that some of the games just don't translate well onto a PSP environment, games that require the use of the two analog sticks, for example." No plans for a PSP price drop OR redesign. Sony is "happy" with PSP; it is their "fastest-growing product."
O2 Atom Exec gets the full rundown
CNET has gone ahead and upgraded its preview of the O2 Atom Exec to a full review, and it appears they've come away with a very positive impression of the refreshed non-HTC -- yes, non-HTC -- Pocket PC. To refresh your melon, the Atom Exec is O2's Asia-only update of the Atom, adding an extra 64MB of ROM (for a total of 192MB), boosting the device's PXA272 core from 416 to 520MHz, and toning down the glossy finish to a more matte one. CNET concludes that the Exec is a great device thanks largely to its roomy ROM and snappy performance, but that it probably isn't worthy of an upgrade for owners of the original Atom. European Atom owners: feelin' any jealousy here?[Thanks, Ash]
PS3 could debut in Europe for 500 euros, says SCEE exec
La PlayStation Trois! French gamers must be familiar with that combination by now, and if a certain Sony executive gets his way, the PS3 could be appearing in Europe for as low as 500 euros this fall.Apparently George Fornay (president of Sony Computer Entertainment France and vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) confirmed to Generation Europe 1, in French, that the PS3 could be priced around the 500 euro mark, most likely between 499 euros and 599 euros. For the unfiltered French audio, try the Play button near the middle of Europe 1's podcast page here.Such an estimated figure may include Europe's Value Added Tax (VAT), so the final price range in the States might well be lower than the current U.S. currency equivalent of roughly $600-$725 for those many euros. Of course, who's to say whether Mr. Fornay was simply speculating on a local podcast or whether he actually exhibited loose lips before the French press?[Thanks, Fan; also via Joystiq]
