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TUAW Gives Thanks: Ginza Elevator Graphics
On this day of excess tryptophan and annoying relatives, it's important to take a minute and give thanks for the things we enjoy, yet take for granted the rest of the year. This year, I'm thankful that I get to sit around and blog about a company that cares enough about design to go that extra step in everything it does, including elevators. Where other companies would put simple buttons, Apple placed an elegant masterpiece of interaction design in front of the elevator at its flagship Ginza store in Tokyo. I've long been impressed by the motion graphics work produced by Apple, but I have to say that this is by far one of my favorites. Enjoy, and happy turkey day![via Cult of Mac]
Helio's first dedicated store opens its doors
Say you're in the market for a Helio device; perhaps a Hybrid data card or that hot new Drift all the kiddies are talking about. Could you get it from some third-party wireless outlet or Helio's online store? Sure, of course you could, but where we come from, we go big or we go home. Helio's Santa Monica flagship store has just opened its doors, and the MVNO is hoping would-be members (and current members alike) drop by to buy their next Helio device -- or, in the words of Helio honcho Sky Dayton himself, "cruise by to meet up or just hang out with friends." If Santa Monica is a bit out of the way, look for San Diego, Palo Alto, and Denver to flip their switches by year's end with New York following in early '07.
Apple Store has a new "chat now" feature
That experiment with chat and the education store must have gone well, as the public Apple Store has recently become a little chattier with the seemingly quiet introduction of a new "chat now" feature to its product pages. Interestingly, it appears (at least for me) only on Mac product pages, and only a second or two after the rest of the page loads (as if there's an intentional delay), though I don't see it on any software pages or even in the iPod sections. I had a quick chat with the 'Apple Expert' Rache, but I was quickly dumped once I was found out to be a mere blogger (helping to spread the word...) instead of a cash-in-hand shopper. Oh well, this still seems like a great idea. I hope it sticks around.[Update: it seems only some users can see this feature. It might simply be a page caching problem (as in: try emptying your browser cache), but for now it might be the case that only certain users, regions or countries can see the chat feature.]Thanks Andrew
PSone downloads begin on 11/22... in Japan
In just a few hours, Japanese PS3 and PSP owners will be able to download and play PSone games on their PSPs. The following titles will be available for only 525 yen (less than $5) each: Resident Evil Director's Cut (Capcom) Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.1 (Konami) Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.2 (Konami) Bishi Bashi Special (Konami) Arc the Lad (SCEJ) Jumping Flash! (SCEJ) Hot Shots Golf 2 (SCEJ) Silent Bomber (Bandai Namco Games) Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco Games) Playback of the games requires the newly released 3.00 firmware. PLAYSTATION 3 owners will be able to play the downloaded games on their home consoles in the future.[Via IGN]
Local game store updates firmware for only $4.99!
A user on the PlayStation forums took a picture with his digital camera of a store offering PSP firmware upgrades... for only $4.99! I do get quite a number of silly e-mails from readers asking how to upgrade the system's firmware. Is it so difficult to visit Sony's official website? Is it so difficult to put a UMD that features an upgrade into one's system to update? Is it so hard to use the "Network Update" feature? WHY?? Why can't people figure this out?!As long as there's simpletons using the machine, there will always be a market for capitalizing store managers. Is he a smart business man? Or is he just exploiting others for a free feature?
3.0 manual online; confirms PS3 necessary for downloadable games!
Our reader Matt T. sent in a very hot tip. It appears that the online manual for PSP version 3.0 is up and running. Thankfully, it doesn't have any features removed. However, it confirms our fears that a PS3 is necessary to download games to the PSP. Here's the proof:"Play PLAYSTATION®Network titles downloaded from (PLAYSTATION®Store). A PLAYSTATION®3 system is required to use this feature."What??? Didn't Peter Dille confirm that you didn't need a PS3 to download games to the system? Sony's got a lot of explaining to do...
Does Sony hate OPM? The answer is yes [Update 1]
Remember when we asked if the Official PlayStation Magazine hated PSP games? Well, it looks like Sony doesn't care much about the magazine either as they announced the magazine's discontinuation today. "With the launch of the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and its full network and Web capabilities, we are focused on delivering content via the PlayStation Network and PlayStation.com website, not discs," said Peter Dille. Makes sense to me. With the newly revamped PlayStation.com and PlayStation Store coming, there's no reason to have a print magazine... especially when the main reason people get the magazine is for the demo discs. The final issue of OPM will be the January 2007 issue. Fans of OPM's editorials need not fret, however. The 1UP team will continue providing editorial content available exclusively for PS3 owners. [Via Joystiq] [Update 1: The European version of OPM will continue. While the US magazine is published by Ziff Davis, it appears that the UK's magazine, handled by Future, will still continue. Source: GI.biz]
Cash Money Chaos allows PSP versus PS3 multiplayer
A kitten dies every time the PSP loses an exclusive game. Thankfully for us PSP owners, it appears that PSP games that get ported to other systems lose something in the translation (like multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, or well, everything in Lumines). However, the PS3 version of once PSP-exclusive Cash Money Chaos seems to lose only one thing: price. The game will be downloadable to the PS3, as part of Sony's new digital distribution strategy. Sony went on record saying that PLAYSTATION 3 downloadable games won't cost more than $15, which means this game will certainly cost less than the PSP's UMD version. Bah humbug!At least it seems like the game plays well, according to our overlords at Joystiq. They note that once the PSP version comes out in February, you'll be able to play multiplayer between the PSP and the PS3 versions. I'd love to see that functionality extended to even more games soon.
Nintendo World Store to have enough for walk-ins, as well
Joystiq was in New York City recently to check out Nintendo's famous World Store, when they encountered the manager of said store, Paul Gonzalez, and grilled him about launch figures and sell-outs. In placing his face under the white-hot light of interrogation, he replied, much to the surprise of Joystiq and ourselves, that the Nintendo World Store would have enough consoles at launch for walk-in customers looking for the console."I'm not expecting to sell out on Sunday. Monday -- no promises."So does that mean that other retail outlets could very well have plenty of consoles for launch day and beyond?
Resident Evil heads to PSP in November (via PSone emulation)
The PlayStation Store that'll be available on your fingerprint-covered PLAYSTATION 3 in a few weeks will feature PSone games for you to download and play on your PSP. Japan will have 9 games available at its launch: Bio Hazard Director's Cut (Resident Evil) BishiBashi Special Everyone's Golf 2 Jumping Flash! Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.1 Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol.2 Mister Driller Silent Bomber Tekken 2 Strangely, no Ridge Racer (it was the first game to show off PSone emulation on the PSP). My personal picks have to be Resident Evil and Mister Driller (if the same games come out to America). According to Eurogamer, Sony plans on adding ten more games to the roster every month. That's about twice the content provided by Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays.[Via Joystiq]
Switched On: Rebooting retail in Redmond
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. This week marks the second birthday of Switched On, which recently passed the 100-column mark. If you love the iPod, you may delight in how long it has maintained its superiority over other digital music players. If you hate the iPod, you may bemoan how consumers have overlooked the superiority of other digital music players. But if you're in an Apple Store, you may simply wonder if there are any other digital music players. Two years ago, the first Switched On column focused on whether the new iPod photo would yield a video-playing heir. That level of attention, though, was nothing compared to the treatment that the the product receives every day in the church of the immaculate gloss. Apple stores present rows of well-maintained iPods fresh from their announcement ready to be enjoyed with a variety of sample songs and connected to earbuds, headphones or speaker systems from Apple and others. Cases and car chargers dangle below colorful signs extolling the breadth of content available at the iTunes store. A knowledgeable, no-pressure staff is usually hovering to answer any questions about the product you might buy while support specialists can address issues with the one you may have bought. Compare these point-of-purchase penthouses to the plastic cells inside the glass case jails in which many MP3 players often rot away their shelf lives. It's a safe bet that, for a high percentage of those who tried to a digital music player at retail prior to purchase, the iPod was the only such device they were able to experience hands-on even if they were open to alternatives.
Don't worry: you don't need a PS3 to download PSone games
Sony's Gamer's Day revealed some interesting info about the exciting PSP-PS3 connectivity. But, we were left pondering whether or not we'd need a PS3 to download PSone games to our handhelds. It would be a little silly if Sony tried to force us to buy a $500+ piece of hardware simply to download games, and thankfully, Sony hasn't gone completely mad as we've feared. GameDaily interviewed everyone's pal, Peter Dille, and he confirmed that you do not need a PS3 in order to download PSone games to your PSP: BIZ: I know you guys have previously talked about a PSP emulation service where PS1 titles would be downloaded directly to the PSP (for example, if someone didn't own a PS3). This new PS3 download service of PS1 titles, which involves transferring to the PSP, is not going to replace the previous PSP emulation plan is it? PD: You are correct. We'll still have that. We have the PSP downloads site now, and you're right; these PS1 games will be available either from the PSP downloads site directly, so you don't need a PS3 to get them or if you do happen to be one of the lucky guys that gets a PS3, you can download the games to your PS3 hard drive and then slide it over to your PSP. Both services will be up and running. Whew! That's good to hear. I'm going to pick up a PLAYSTATION 3 one of these days, but I'm sure many of you are very relieved to hear this confirmation.[Via Gamespot]
Miis on the go
From some leaked developer documents some time ago, it was revealed that each Wiimote would have around 6 kb of memory built right in. Some believed it to be purely for the internal speaker, while others had crazier ideas: personalized settings, content, and once the Mii system was unveiled, perhaps even the storing of one's own digital avatar. Is it true? You bet your gold coins it is. Straight from the mouth of George Harrison, each Wiimote will be able to store up to 10 Mii creations for those on-the-go fixes of Wii Tennis.Nintendo seems to be fostering the concept of a personalized Wiimote for each player, something never before attempted. If one can indeed store some settings (and a saved game or two? Maybe the internal memory was increased since then), the feeling would only increase. Get ready to show off your creations![Thanks, Jrathert!]
Twenty Ninth Street Store Grand Opening
W00t! Seems Apple really likes me, or at least people in my general area. Tomorrow is the grand opening of the newest Apple store, Boulder, Colorado's Twenty Ninth Street location. Par usual for store openings, the first thousand people through the door get special limited edition t-shirts, and can enter for a chance to win fabulous prizes. I'll try and make it up to Boulder to get in line by 7:30, but if one of you early rising readers is going to be there and wants to keep a place in line for me, I would be forever in your debt. I'll be there with my Flatiron Crossing grand opening shirt and etched-out PowerBook blogging and interviewing store staff and excited line-waiters alike.
Nintendo hits Malaysia (officially)
Nintendo has recently been mounting their new global offensive, and last week it landed in Malaysia in the form of an official counter in the Mid Valley Megamall in capital Kuala Lumpur. Sometimes these forays of Nintendo's are not so successful, but it seems that they has been welcomed in Malaysia despite the rampant piracy in the surrounding region.Fans are paying a premium for their official titles, but in return they get warranties and replacement policies, and a quality guarantee is nothing to turn down. And the area is beautiful designed, with lots of bright surfaces and display units. Check out a couple of photos after the jump.In related news ... would anyone else be willing to commit minor crimes for the above t-shirt, or is it just us?
Studios steering clear of iTunes Store for now
If you think the iTunes Store could use a bigger push from movie studios, you'll be just as disappointed as I am to hear that most of the big players have no interest in signing on before the holidays.According to this story at the Mac Observer, analyst group Piper Jaffray met with four of the six top Hollywood studios to talk about their plans to put their flicks onto the iTunes Store, but they've all decided to wait out the holidays for fear of "retailiation" [sic] - a great word to describe how big retailers like Wal-Mart could pull back on their support of DVDs if they become unprofitable because the movies are available cheaper online.There's more. Apparently, studios aren't too thrilled about Apple's "rigid pricing strategy" either, and that other popular bugaboo, the looming threat of piracy, comes up too.It's not all bleak, though. Piper Jaffray says more studios will have movies on the iTunes Store within the next six months. I'm just looking forward to downloading Adaptation at some point.[Via Digg]
Widget Watch: OnTour - know when your favorite iTunes artists are in town
OnTour is a Dashboard widget that scans your iTunes library and offers concert notifications when the artists you actually listen to are coming to a venue near you. The widget uses OnTour.net to collaborate all this information, and links are provided to buy tickets, as well as to the iTS in case you need to brush up on your choruses. To top things off, the OnTour.net site itself provides even more links to discographies and Google maps for directions. Nice.[via Lifehacker]
Sony Ericsson to open flagship store in London
Looks like Sony Ericsson is caving to the peer pressure to open a flagship retail location where eager shoppers can get brainwas... er, immersed by the brand. Announced in conjunction with the joint venture's 5th anniversary, the store will find its way onto London's Kensington High Street some time in November, offering 7,300 square feet of retail space devoted to Sony Ericsson goodies on the main floor and meeting areas (for those high rollers) in the lower level. Carrier signups will be offered -- though presumably not required -- in-store in conjunction with Carphone Warehouse, which will also be tasked with managing the store's day-to-day operations. No word on whether other flagship facilities will be popping up around the globe, but we'd pay good money to see a good, old-fashioned brawl between Sony Ericsson and Nokia on Finnish turf.
Newly resized iTS video content just a bad upsample?
It seems like not all larger iTunes Store videos are actually worth their new dimensions. Reader Paul did some investigating on the newly resized videos (i.e. - ones that were 320 x 240 before the new store, and are now 640 x 480), as a few seemed suspiciously like bad upsamples, rather than truly re-encoded masterpieces of H264 quality.Unfortunately, for this investigation Paul had to reveal he is an Anastacia fan, but that isn't important right now (just kiddin' with you Paul). Engadget has put together a good post with example screenshots (like the one above) of upsampled content that looks worse than its smaller predecessors. Some of the videos look great - like Paul's Anastacia examples, but others like Madonna's and Elton John's vids ultimately take the more jagged route.The thing I'm wondering is: who does the encoding? Apple, or the studios? This page at Apple's site for music labels interested in getting onto the store offers software called iTunes Producer to allow them to do the encoding, which makes me suspect this video upsampling issue could be the fault of the labels mistakenly assigning the video encoding and re-encoding work to some rookie intern.This is about all we know for now; Apple I'm sure is unavailable for comment, but check out Engadget's post for more screenshots and details of what's going on here.
Go to NYC for launch, get a Wii handed to you by Reggie
In sitting down with ABC News, Reggie Fils-Aime does the usual PR thing to promote the Wii, talking up the innovative features of the console and the company's goals to bring their product to people in all walks of life, hardcore gamers and those who do not traditionally play games alike, but more interestingly reveals that he will be on-hand at Nintendo's store in New York city to hand out consoles during launch (he says "a store in NYC," but it's safe to assume it'll be at Nintendo's store). Obviously, he makes no mention of needing to kick your ass and/or take your name to get your hands on a Wii, so we assume you'll need your check card, or the good old cash standard. [Note: Read link will take you directly to ABC News' video interview]
