Sep 25

PS3 3.0 / 3.01 firmware update making Blu-ray drive unusable?

Posted in: firmware, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

What could possibly cause nearly 700 comments on an official Sony blog post announcing the relatively minor 3.01 firmware update for the PS3? Plaudits? A Kanye meme gone awry? No, it’s the age old problem of an update that apparently breaks more than it fixes. In this case, a sizable number of users are reporting that the 3.0 and/or 3.01 update caused their PS3’s Blu-ray drive to be all but unusable for both games and Blu-ray movies (although some folks report that DVDs still work). Other users are also reporting intermittent problems like no sound, and some problems with specific games, but it does seem like the complaints are pretty widespread and, as of yet, Sony isn’t saying much about them. Bitten by the upgrade bug yourself? Let us know in comments.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under:

PS3 3.0 / 3.01 firmware update making Blu-ray drive unusable? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Sep 16

Video: Creative Zii EGG gets firmware updated to 92.02, still looks pretty janky

Posted in: firmware, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, Today's Chili, update, video
Creative’s just rolled out a firmware update — version 92.02, if you’re counting — for developers of the Zii EGG. The updates include adding support for media playback on the SD card, a 3D close line effect for when you’re browsing in landscape view, plus a stretching effect for browsing lists. The sample shots taken with its camera look pretty decent, and in the video which is after the break, you can catch a look at both the close line and stretching effect — the latter of which we think has some potential to be useful, even if it’s all still looking a bit rough around the edges for now. Like we said, the video is after the break — hit the read link for test shots.

Continue reading Video: Creative Zii EGG gets firmware updated to 92.02, still looks pretty janky

Filed under: ,

Video: Creative Zii EGG gets firmware updated to 92.02, still looks pretty janky originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Sep 14

Speedy new HTC Hero firmware starts to pop around the world

Posted in: Android, firmware, hero, HTC, sense, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

End users of HTC’s Hero are now getting official access to the major new firmware build that’s been floating around lately, with the company’s Danish site being among the first to offer it to downloaders official stamped as version 2.73.405.5 (for comparison, UK visitors are still left out in the cold as of this writing). The big deal here is speed — the new build stamps out many lag-related concerns buyers had at the phone’s initial release, and we’ve heard (and seen) that the new code is nothing short of magic. Unfortunately, US residents still don’t have a good reason to expect to find this on their local HTC support site yet — Sprint won’t be dropping the Hero until early next month, at which point we’d certainly hope the latest and greatest speed improvements would’ve already been incorporated — but Europeans hesitant to give the Hero a shot might want to give it another look with the new goods installed.

[Thanks, Frederik C.]

Filed under: ,

Speedy new HTC Hero firmware starts to pop around the world originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Sep 07

Nokia N97 firmware 2.0 looks to squash major pain points

Posted in: firmware, nokia, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

As QWERTY-equipped Nokias go we’re having a hard time taking our eyes off the N900 (and the E72, come to think of it) — but it might be worth keeping the N97 hanging around on the back burner, because Nokia certainly hasn’t moved on yet. In fact, the company is crafting a rather hefty new update that’ll be available next month, and on video, it seems to directly address a few areas that should immediately make the phone more usable, chiefly kinetic scrolling which makes lists behave in a way that’s more natural and obvious for a full-touch device. There’s also a smattering of bug fixes and performance improvements, more stock widgets available, alternate keyboard characters are now available via long press, and amazingly, they’ve managed to do all of this while still leaving more phone memory available. We’d venture to say it’s still not an “N900 killer” by any stretch, but it’s definitely a new lease on life. Follow the break for a video demo of the new firmware in action.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Nokia N97 firmware 2.0 looks to squash major pain points

Filed under: ,

Nokia N97 firmware 2.0 looks to squash major pain points originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Sep 03

PS3 firmware 3.0 locking out knock-off controllers?

Posted in: controller, firmware, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

Well, here’s a bit of a curious situation. As Joystiq reports, it wasn’t long after the PS3 firmware 3.0 went live that the first reports of problems started cropping up, with one particularly nagging issue being that some controllers (specifically the CECHZC2H Ceramic White DualShock3) seemed to be locked out of the console once the update was installed. After hashing it out a bit on the official PlayStation3 forum, however, users apparently determined that the controllers in question were in fact knock-offs and not official Sony product, which raises some different but just as interesting questions. Namely, is Sony locking the knock-offs out on purpose, or is firmware 3.0 just too much for them to handle? For its part, Sony doesn’t seem to be saying anything on the matter just yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under:

PS3 firmware 3.0 locking out knock-off controllers? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Aug 31

PlayStation 3 firmware 3.0 now available

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, firmware, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, Today's Chili

Right on schedule, PlayStation 3 firmware 3.0 is now out and being fed directly into your console (should you opt to download it, at least), offering a number of changes to the user interface and Trophies section and animated themes with avatars. Be sure to come back and let us know what you think!

Update: We’re running the update now and the changelog that shows up on the PS3 has two new features we hadn’t heard about: simultaneous audio output across connectors and control of video playback (slow motion, fast forward and rewind) using the right stick. Nice!

Filed under:

PlayStation 3 firmware 3.0 now available originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 19

Apple releases MacBook Pro firmware to silence those 7200 RPM HDDs

Posted in: Apple, firmware, hard drive, HardDrive, Mac, macbook, MacbookPro, memory, Today's Chili, update

That new MacBook Pro’s 7200 RPM HDD singing you too many ballads lately? As promised, Apple today released a new firmware update to silence that troublemaker. If it doesn’t come up through automatic system update, you can obtain Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0 (catchy name, eh?) via the read link. Admit it, you’re gonna feel just a teensy bit lonelier once your laptop stops chirping so much.

Update: Apple today also released Bluetooth Firmware Update 2.0.1, which alongside various bug fixes improves compatibility with the company’s wireless mouse and keyboards on all machines with the Broadcom chipset — that includes all unibody laptops and any Mac released in 2009.

[Via TUAW]

Filed under:

Apple releases MacBook Pro firmware to silence those 7200 RPM HDDs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 19

Yesterday’s PlayStation news, all in one place

Posted in: firmware, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, psp, sony, Today's Chili, video

Sony had itself quite a day yesterday, effectively reinvigorating the PlayStation brand with the $300 PS3 Slim and a host of upgrades and updates to the PSP, the PlayStation Store, and PlayStation Network. Now that the dust has settled, we thought we’d throw down a little recap in case you didn’t catch it all — it’s clear that the lower-priced Slim has a lot of people talking about finally buying a PS3, but we think things like PSP Minis “snackable” games and the new PS3 firmware 3.0 might be equally important in the long run. Here’s the full breakdown:

Liveblog:

PS3 Slim and PS3 classic:

PSP:

Filed under:

Yesterday’s PlayStation news, all in one place originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Aug 18

Sony announces PS3 firmware 3.0, European PlayStation Video Store, Digital Reader comics viewer

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, europe, firmware, germany, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, psp, sony, Today's Chili, uk

Sony just announced a bunch of tweaks and additions to the PS3, PSP, and PlayStation Network at GamesCom, chief among them the new PS3 firmware 3.0. The new code features animated themes with avatars, a new status indicator, a modified friends list, assorted interface changes, tweaks to trophies, and a What’s New section that replaces the Information Board. Sony’s also bringing the PlayStation Video store to the UK, France, Germany and Spain in November, with more planned expansion in 2010 — customers will be able to rent and buy films in SD and HD, and while it’ll open with just movies, other content will be added as time goes on. The PSP is also getting a Digital Reader comics viewer, with lots of heavy hitters like Marvel on board to provide content — Marvel says the PSP could become their biggest distribution outlet. We’ll see about that — for now, check a video of firmware 3.0 after the break.

Update: Digital Reader press release after the break.

Continue reading Sony announces PS3 firmware 3.0, European PlayStation Video Store, Digital Reader comics viewer

Filed under:

Sony announces PS3 firmware 3.0, European PlayStation Video Store, Digital Reader comics viewer originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Aug 16

HTC to offer Sense upgrade for Magic in October, might be free? (update: free, only coming to Taiwan so far)

Posted in: Android, firmware, HTC, sense, Software, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

The spec gap between the Magic and the Hero is mighty small — other than the entirely revamped Sense UI, the Hero’s 5 megapixel camera is about the only thing the newer model has over the original, physical design notwithstanding. That gap is on the fast track to getting even smaller, too, now that HTC has issued a press release detailing a Sense upgrade for the Magic (assuming you haven’t already nabbed it off xda-developers, that is). It looks like current owners will get hooked up some time in October for NT$1,500, which works out to about $46; what we don’t know, though, is which Magics will be eligible for the upgrade. Just like HTC’s WinMo wares, we’re guessing that subsidized units are going to be at the mercy of their carriers, which means that T-Mobile, Rogers, and Vodafone customers (among others) should take a somewhat pessimistic view of this announcement until they’ve heard otherwise. Hey, we’re just looking out for your mental health here.

[Thanks, Steve G.]

Update: Depending on how you interpret the press release, HTC could be saying that the upgrade is valued at NT$1,500, but will actually be free. We’re working to get a clarification.

Update 2: Alright, we’ve gotten the skinny on this straight from HTC. The update will be free — thing is, it’s only coming to Taiwan’s Chunghwa so far. The fate of Magics on other carriers remains unknown, but we do know that so-called “with Google” versions will definitely be left out (that includes you, myTouch 3G).

Filed under: ,

HTC to offer Sense upgrade for Magic in October, might be free? (update: free, only coming to Taiwan so far) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: