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Blu-ray discs to offer portable movies for PSP
As tempting as it may be to drag your PlayStation 3 and 50" HDTV along on your next road trip, Sony would like you to consider a slightly more convenient and decidedly less dangerous option for watching movies on the go. In a CES demonstration of the BD Live standard (encapsulated in the upcoming Blu-Ray Profile 2.0), supported Blu-ray discs were shown to offer portable versions of the included movies for download to a Memory Stick or PlayStation Portable. Pop the disc into your PlayStation 3, connect a PSP and watch the smaller movie on your smaller screen (sans UMD).If you're looking to take advantage of this feature in the foreseeable future, it might be wise to start saving up for one of those fancy 16GB Memory Sticks. [Via PSP Fanboy]
Sony's new $300, 16GB Memory Stick
The march of progress continues unabated as Sony has unveiled a new 16GB Memory Stick Pro Duo at CES. The PSP- and PS3-compatible proprietary storage solution will cost a whopping $300 when it comes out in March. That might seem a little steep, especially when similarly sized SD cards are half the price and available now. Still, it could be worse -- back in 1956, you'd have to pay $10,000 $50,000 (Edit: whoops. Typo) for a 5MB hard drive. So, really, this new card is a bargain![Via PSPFanboy]
16GB of love: the new $300 Memory Stick
Can you ever have too much? Sony says not, as it has just announced a 16GB version of its PSP/PS3-compatible Memory Stick PRO Duo. Coming this March, it will retail for $300. If you buy one, please tell us so that we can be very, very jealous of you. There isn't much else to say -- it is what it is. And it is awesome.[Thanks, lordshadow!]
Deal of the Day: 4GB Memory Stick for $20 [Update]
This is the cheapest 4GB Memory Stick we've ever seen. The SanDisk 4GB Stick is an unadvertised special that's only available at brick and mortar Circuit City stores (no online shopping, sorry!). Item #SDK SDMSG4096A50 is what you'll be looking for. MXPowar from CAG gives some shopping advice for this rather lucrative deal: "In case, you are afraid of this being out of stock when you get there, I just tried this and it works, Buy it here, then choose in-store pickup and your credit card will be refunded about ~$41. A CC representative just called me about this so it is confirmed."Good luck, shoppers.Update: Unfortunately, it looks like the deal is dead. Guess it was a glitch that was corrected -- maybe we publicized this deal too much?
New Memory Stick Entertainment Packs feature Click, Ghost Rider, more
Sony's keen on providing Memory Stick Entertainment Packs. These bundles not only include PSP-compatible Memory Sticks (in 2GB and 4GB flavors), but include a DVD that lets you transfer one movie that's specifically encoded for playback on PSP. The videos come in 720x480 size, making them identical to their DVD counterparts. The 2GB Memory Stick Entertainment Pack (MSX-M2GSEP3) and the 4GB Memory Stick Entertainment Pack (MSX-M4GSEP3) will be available for about $55 and $90. People will have a choice of movies on the disc, including "Click," "Ghost Rider," "RV" and "Stomp the Yard." We're not impressed.
Deal of the Day: 4GB Memory Stick for $40
While we'd love to get our hands on a 8GB Memory Stick Duo, our wallets cringe at the sight of its steep price tag. Thankfully, 4GB cards continue to plummet in price. Fry's is offering a Lexar stick for only $40, including shipping. 4GB is more than enough space, even for videophiles that like to encode their videos in full resolution. As these sticks continue to slowly decline in price, one wonders when a 8GB card will be as affordable as this.[Via IGN Boards]
Jimi Game Shells wrap your babies in recycled goods
Every now and then, someone produces a product that just makes sense, and the Jimi Game Shell is a great example. We already know that DS games are incredibly tiny; in fact, so much of our media these days comes, like dynamite, in small packages. SD cards, memory sticks for the other guys, and our own games, and we're always looking for great new storage solutions. So when the folks behind the Jimi Game Shells offered to send us a couple of samples for a test drive, we jumped on it.The idea of a small, separate case designed just for our DS games is nothing new; some cases include storage space for games, and there are a variety of retail solutions. They're also great fodder for preorder swag, and there's always the DIY route. But what makes the Jimi shells so interesting is that they're designed to hold a variety of media ... and they're made from eco-friendly (well, friendlier) recycled polypropylene.
New Memory Stick Entertainment Pack installs new movies
Sony is finally upgrading their long-forgotten "Memory Stick Entertainment Packs." These packs come with a bundled DVD that features four movies, pre-encoded for PSP playback. The previous pack came with the choice of cinematic masterpieces, such as The Grudge, S.W.A.T., Hitch, and XXX: State of the Union. Yeah ...According to IGN, the new MSX-M2GSEP model will feature a different collection of four movies: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Spider-man 2, Hellboy and S.W.A.T. (again?) While the selection isn't too great, the sheer convenience is certainly appreciated. Unfortunately, the DVD can only be used to unlock one movie, so make sure you choose wisely.This package will be available at Sony Style stores for about $60. The package will also include a 2GB Memory Stick.[Thanks, Joel!]
Sony rolls out speedy Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo cards
Sony first announced its speedy new Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo cards all the way back in December, but it's now finally gotten a bit more specific about them, including providing the all important details on pricing and availability. Set to be available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the cards boast a new 8-bit parallel interface that Sony says translates to a 30MB/sec transfer rate, which makes 'em about three times faster than the standard Memory Stick Pro. To take advantage of all that speed, Sony's also providing an ExpressCard adapter for the new Memory Sticks, although they will still be compatible with standard 4-bit parallel interface hardware, albeit at a significantly reduced speed. While there doesn't appear to be any word on how much the adapter will cost, you can look for the cards themselves to set up back $60, $90, and $150 for the 1, 2, and 4GB variations, respectively, with all three available in August.
Deal of the Day: 4GB Memory Stick for only $50
Memory Sticks just continue to get cheaper and cheaper. FRYS.com is now offering a 4GB Gaming Memory Stick Duo Pro for only $50, after rebate. What's so special about the gaming cards? Well, they come in colorful plastic! And ... that's about it. Of course, does it matter if your Memory Stick is bright red, when it's hidden away in your PSP? Don't think so.For those of you still struggling with the Value Pack's original 32MB stick, now is the time to upgrade! Certainly, this deal won't last long ... until the next dirt-cheap Memory Stick deal comes along.[Via SlickDeals]
Deal of the Day: 4GB Memory Stick for only $60
Memory Stick prices just keep on going down and down. Frys.com has a sweet deal where you can get 4GB for only $60, after rebate. You'll be able to place a mind-numbing amount of music and videos on a Memory Stick that big![Thanks, Tom!]
Deal of the Day: 4GB card for only $70
I personally use a 4GB Memory Stick, and I find it's ridiculously huge. It's much more storage than I could possibly ever need ... and that's a good feeling. Sure, there's an 8GB stick coming down the line, but you certainly won't get such a sweet deal for quite some time. FRYS.com has a 4GB SanDisk card for only $70, after mail-in rebate. Yes, the website lists the card as $120, but once you add it to your cart, you will see the price magically change.[Thanks, Dane! Via slickdeals]
Marsilli kicks out cellphone-controlled toy car / flash drive
We're not exactly sure what's up with Asia's infatuation with toy cars and shoving completely irrelevant (but entirely useful) features inside of them, but now Marsilli is offering up its own admittedly peculiar flash drive in the shape of a vehicle. Presumably in direct competition with Gold Kiwi's Bluetooth GPS receiver ride, this Mobile Remote Control Car is a diminutive four-wheeled ride with impressive aerodynamics, a 512MB flash drive built-in, USB connector in place of a central-mounted exhaust, and it even allows users to drive it around a cardboard course with "any cellphone." Of course, we're not entirely sure if all that controlling action is done over Bluetooth or some other propriety channel, but we have strong suspicions "every mobile" might not be equipped to handle this road burner. Nevertheless, you can probably pick one of these up in the near future at your favorite street corner vendor in Asia, but for now, click on through for a more closeups.
Is your Memory Stick the real deal?
There are tons of fake Memory Sticks out there, and while some of them do work, many feature less than reliable performance. mavy, a programmer from PSX Reality, has come up with a comprehensive, homebrew method to check if your flash card is a fake. The test won't be fast, and it will involve doing a reformat of the disk, but it does appear to be quite comprehensive.However, I've also heard that there's a poor man's way of checking for the real deal. Go to the PSP's XMB, and have "Memory Stick" highlighted as one of your options. Hit Triangle and then "Information." If MagicGate, Sony's proprietary copy-protection scheme isn't supported, chances are high that you have a fake.[Via PSP3D]
8GB PSP Memory Stick priced at $300
As expected, Sony will soon roll out its 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, priced at $300. That's steep, but given previous trends, the price should plummet quickly. Last summer, the 4GB Memory Stick debuted at $250, but could be found for as low as $65 (SanDisk model) during a recent (but expired) Google Checkout promotion on Buy.com.PSP firmware v2.81 or higher is needed to use the 8GB Memory Stick with Sony's portable gaming device.
Sony doubles Memory Stick Pro Duo format capacity to 8GB
They're slightly behind schedule on this, but Sony today announced the expected doubling of the Memory Stick Pro Duo format to 8GB. You'll be able to pick one of these bad boys up in February for the low, low (as we say in Kazakhstan: NOT!) price of $300.
CES: 8GB Memory Stick Duo priced
Portable flash memory continues to get more and more impressive every year. Sony has announced pricing for the impressive 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo at CES ... and as expected, it's not coming cheap. It'll be released in February for $300.You'll need firmware 2.81 or above for your PSP to recognize such a massive card.[Via PSP-Vault]
Hacked PS1 emulation on PSP now more efficient [update 1]
Dark_AleX has released another edition of his custom PSP firmware. Just as it appears '3.03 Open Edition Revision A' (OE-A) is essentially a modified version of Sony's official v3.03 fimware. 3.03OE-A also comes with a modified version of Sony's PS1 emulator, popstation; and with this latest custom firmware release, custom-made ISOs (game files) can now be compressed to conserve memory stick space.Ethical concerns aside, it's amazing how the PSP homebrew scene has exploded ahead of Sony, unlocking the company's emulator for use with all PS1 titles. With just a few hours of research, a stack of old PlayStation games on hand, and perhaps a little trial and error, you now have the power to forge your own emulation experience -- imagine that. You don't even need a PlayStation 3.Update: clarified that popstation is a modified version of Sony's PS1 emulator.
4GB Value Pack not such a good value
Sony has to start making "Value Packs" that live up to their name. The latest effort in the bundle-crazed European market is a new "Value Pack," going for €329 ($425 US). This package, a mark-up of €130 contains a 4GB Memory Stick and Sony's Media Manager 2.0. Considering how most freeware makes Media Manager unnecessary, and how Memory Stick prices are plummeting, there's no reason for Sony to charge as much as they are. Educated European customers will obviously avoid this bundle, and simply buy the Core system, with a Memory Stick of their own choosing.[Via kingplayer]
Memory Stick PRO-HG to provide users up to 32GB of space
Sony and SanDisk just revealed a new extension of Sony's popular proprietary flash media. The PRO-HG series is "theoretically capable" of sizes up to 32GB, with write speeds of up to 60MB/sec. PSP owners can celebrate that HG line is backwards compatible with the regular PRO series of cards, meaning you'll be able to buy an HG card and use it in your PSP. You won't get the same speed advantage, but you will be able to use the card's ridiculous amount of storage.Even thinking up ways to fill a 32GB card is mind-boggling for me. Hopefully, we'll see more when CES comes around next month.[Thanks, Michael Chomiczewski! Via Engadget]
