PlayStation Vita plays it smart with phone-like UI, we go hands-on

We’ve handled the PlayStation Vita often enough to know our way around its lightweight chassis and petite thumbsticks, but whenever we’ve tried to explore the handheld’s underlying user interface, event staff played interference. Developers at a recent Vita Hill Social Club event were much less shy, however, and let us poke and swipe through the Vita’s menu with hardly a shrug.

Continue reading PlayStation Vita plays it smart with phone-like UI, we go hands-on

PlayStation Vita plays it smart with phone-like UI, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS Vita’s Twitter app shown off in Hong Kong, we go hands-on (video)

Here’s a little souvenir for Twitter addicts eyeing the upcoming PS Vita: at today’s debut event in Hong Kong, we got to see said console’s Twitter app in action for the very first time, and we were also fortunate enough to get some exclusive hands-on time with Sony’s in-house software. As you can see in our video after the break, the overall design feels very much in line with Twitter’s standard ID: the same shade of blue, the usual tabs on the left column, slick elastic scrolling in the timelines, and support for geotagging, hash tags plus photo attachment while tweeting. No surprises here, but hey, the app worked well for us.

That said, we were told that the app wasn’t quite finished yet, and Sony still couldn’t confirm whether this — along with the other dedicated apps like Skype, Foursquare and Facebook — will be ready for download by the time the Vita launches in Hong Kong on December 23rd (just a tad later than Japan’s launch on the 17th). In case you’re wondering, the Vita there will cost HK$2,280 (US$290) for the WiFi version and HK$2,780 (US$360) for the 3G flavor, both unsubsidized but cheaper than their Japanese counterparts. Of course, given that the console isn’t region-locked, feel free to go do some shopping in Hong Kong then — just save some for the locals, OK? Also, check out our gallery below for some close-up shots of the Vita’s music and video apps.

Continue reading PS Vita’s Twitter app shown off in Hong Kong, we go hands-on (video)

PS Vita’s Twitter app shown off in Hong Kong, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kaz Hirai: Sony is ‘in discussions with non-Sony companies’ over PlayStation Suite

Wondering whether Sony’s PlayStation Suite will ever really leave its nest? While the SDK won’t be out until next month, SCE Chairman Kaz Hirai just told us here at AsiaD that this Android-friendly framework’s still open to all other manufacturers, and he emphasized that it “isn’t an ecosystem where we want to keep everything within the Sony family” while pimping the three PlayStation Certified Android devices so far: Xperia Play, Tablet S and Tablet P. Kaz also confirmed that Sony’s currently “in discussions with non-Sony companies to bring them onboard,” but as to when this will come to fruition, the company will make those announcements “when it’s time to go public with it,” so we shall see.

Kaz Hirai: Sony is ‘in discussions with non-Sony companies’ over PlayStation Suite originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s Kazuo Hirai: liveblog from AsiaD!

We’re back! AsiaD‘s concluding today, but we’ve got a couple of big hitters left on the schedule. Kicking things off this morning — yeah, it’s morning, we’re in the future — is Sony’s Executive Deputy President, Kazuo Hirai, and we’re guessing he’ll be shooting it straight regarding the PS Vita, those nasty “outages” and whatever else he feels like keeping us abreast on. Join us after the break for the blow-by-blow!

Continue reading Sony’s Kazuo Hirai: liveblog from AsiaD!

Sony’s Kazuo Hirai: liveblog from AsiaD! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions

We’d imagine come November 13th, the above will be the scene inside many a PS3 owner’s house. That’s when Sony’s hot little 24-inch PlayStation 3D display will officially be available in the US, Canada, Europe and parts of Asia. Sony took to its US PlayStation Blog today with the news, along with a lengthy FAQ to keep your GAS at bay in the meantime. If you’ll recall, the 240Hz 1080p display packs a single set of component inputs, two HDMI 1.4 ports, stereo RCA outputs, a headphone jack, an integrated subwoofer, and of course, 3D-capability with supported titles. For five hundred bucks you’ll get the PS 3D Display, one pair of USB-rechargeable 3D Glasses ($70 for each additional pair), a copy of Motorstorm: Apocalypse and even an HDMI cable. Notably, its fancy (and exclusive) SimulView feature will let two sets of 3D shades grab either the left or right side feed in supported 3D games for a private 2D view. Disappointingly, this puppy isn’t wall-mountable, but hey, that 24-inch panel surely makes it ideal for a desktop setup, no? Full details at the links below, along with a refresher shot of those 3D specs just past the break.

Continue reading Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions

Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink USA Today, Joystiq  |  sourcePlayStation Blog (US)  | Email this | Comments

PlayStation Store hits the Tablet S today, lets gamers relive the glory of the mid-’90s

Remember how badly you wanted a PlayStation phone, only to find out that “experience” was headed to a multitude of devices across the Android spectrum? Well, it looks like Sony’s finally making good on that retro-gaming promise. Starting today, the company’s one stop shop for its classic games of yesteryear goes live in nine countries — although, you’ll have to be a Tablet S owner to partake of the PlayStation Certified nostalgia. Helping Sony usher its fanbase back into the quaintness of 32-bit graphics are ten titles familiar to PSOne fans: Cool Boarders, Destruction Derby, Hot Shots Golf 2, Jet Moto 1 & 2, Jumping Flash!, MediEvil, Motor Toon Grand Prix, Rally Cross and Wild Arms. So, if you happen to be packing the electronic giant’s non-foldable slate, get your thumbs primed for a capacitive walk down memory lane. No word on when those other certified devices will get to mine the company’s gaming archives, but there’s always the Vita for that.

PlayStation Store hits the Tablet S today, lets gamers relive the glory of the mid-’90s originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do You Know the Capabilities of Your Next Gen Game Console?

This article was written on August 09, 2007 by CyberNet.

Next generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are packed with new features and capabilities that set them apart and place them in the “Next Gen” category, yet a recent study indicates that a good chunk of these console owners really don’t know everything their system can do. If you don’t know what your system is capable of, you’re certainly not going to be able to take full advantage of your purchase.

The study, conducted by NPD Group, gives us some insight about what these console owners know about their system.

Playstation xbox 360

High Definition Graphics

  • 50% of Playstation 3 gamers knew their system had high-definition graphics
  • 30% of Xbox 360 gamers knew that their console had high definition functionality

Blu Ray/ HD DVD

We all know about the war between HD DVD and Blu Ray. Sony has hoped that they’d be able to assemble a large base of Blu Ray users because of the Playstation 3 which would help them conquer HD DVD, however, only 40% of Playstation 3 owners knew that their system even had a Blu-Ray player in it! Even worse, those that knew really aren’t using the Blu-Ray player to begin with.  Only half of them had played a Blu-Ray movie within the last 10 times that they turned their system on.

Gamers want games!

From the study, it was found that the one thing people are most overwhelmingly interested in is games. Not the Blu-Ray player, or even the high definition graphics. Ars Technica says it best when they say, “with constantly shifting hardware configurations, falling prices, and the HD DVD/Blu-Ray fight still going strong, Microsoft and Sony may be sending the message that they’re too complicated for the average gamer, while Nintendo’s game-first attitude and strikingly lower price point may be exactly what the majority of console buyers want.”

Is there any wonder then why the Wii is so successful? It’s affordable, and while they don’t have the graphics that the other two do, they’ve got some great games that are sure to be a good time for anyone who plays them. It sounds to me like Microsoft and Sony need to make an extra effort to educate consumers on all of the extra capabilities their system has to offer, particularly Sony who’s gotten off on a rough start.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN

Despite one of its execs pegging this spring’s lengthy PSN outage as a “great experience” the folks at Sony have been pounding the pavement to drum up consumer morale. Back at IFA, the outfit unveiled its new all-in-one Sony Entertainment Network, and its already giving the VOD wing, Video Unlimited, a facelift. Starting today, PS3 owners holding a PlayStation Plus subscription can download the creatively titled “Video Unlimited-preview” app from the PlayStation Store. According to Sony, the new user interface is all about giving the people what they want, and in this case that means a streamlined UI, with big bright graphics and understated, glowing blue text. It also means Gracenote integration, opening up the possibility of endless rabbit-holes of related content searches. We had a few minutes with the new setup, and found ourselves searching content related to Danny McBride’s Your Highness under categories like “Bumbling Buffoons” and “Mythical Beasts,” although we could just as easily have called up titles featuring the film’s director or any of its stars.

If that’s not enough of a departure from the conventional video on demand arrangement, the new UI also features “tumbler search technology,” which abandons regular keyboard-style input for PS3 controls — click the right button to select a letter as you scroll vertically through the alphabet. This “patented technology” also autocompletes your query and similarly takes advantage of Gracenote’s database, allowing you to search by title, actor, director or tag. The new UI is specific to the company’s video service and is currently only available via the PS3, but we’re told it will roll out to the entire network and supported devices sometime in the future. All PlayStation Network users will be able to download the preview app starting October 11th, check out a video preview embedded after the break.

Continue reading Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN

Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In case you didn’t know, PS Vita will play nice with PSP in ad-hoc mode

Check out this tasty morsel of PS Vita info making the rounds: you’ll be able to face your PSP-totin’ friends via ad-hoc mode with games you’ve snagged from the PS Store (so long as the title supports it). We must’ve been so enamored by those vibrant PS Vitas at TGS that we missed this sweet bite courtesy of Sony PlayStation Japan. Sure, it doesn’t kill the sting of its three to five hour battery life, but hey, we’ll just consider it another justification for picking up the hot little number once it hits shelves.

In case you didn’t know, PS Vita will play nice with PSP in ad-hoc mode originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Technabob, Geeky Gadgets, Siliconera  |  sourcePlaystation Japan (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

Game on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G ready at AT&T for $50

Just over four months after the unique device hit Verizon stores, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G has now made it past AT&T’s front door and onto shelves nationwide. The unique factor on this particular version of the “PlayStation Phone” is the inclusion of 14.4Mbps HSPA+ — with enhanced backhaul, naturally — and will be the first PlayStation-Certified smartphone on AT&T’s network. At $50, the pricing is certainly competitive since it ships with Android 2.3.3, a 1GHz single-core CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, 4-inch 854 x 480 display, and seven pre-loaded games. At a full $150 less than Big Red’s launch price, the carrier may move a few units. If you’re one of those that could be persuaded, head to the source link and get your shopping on.

Game on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G ready at AT&T for $50 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Unwired View  |  sourceAT&T  | Email this | Comments