An update to the PS3™ system software was released on November 28, 2006. If you update your PS3™ system, the system software will be version 1.11. Two particular items of interest were included much to the delight of the staff. It looks like the PS3 has become the new high-fidelity ATRAC player of choice..anyone know if all subcodecs within the codec work?

Settings

Enable ATRAC

[Enable ATRAC] has been added as a feature under (Music Settings).

This setting allows use of ATRAC format music files under (Music). To activate the setting, you must have Internet access. If the message “This has already been enabled” is displayed, you do not need to adjust this setting.

Audio CD Output Frequency

[Audio CD Output Frequency] has been added as a feature under (Music Settings).

Set the output frequency for audio CDs. Adjust the setting to match the audio device in use.

In response to a reported “bug” (the new PSP game, JEANNE D’ARC was reported to have loading issue with firmware 3.00) found in PSP firmware 3.00, Sony Computer Entertainment released almost immediately the quickest revision of PSP firmware - version 3.01. In Sony’s typical security revision verbiage, the update is noted simply as “Revisions to strengthen security have been added.”

UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE:
PSP Firmware 3.01: Japanese | US | European | Chinese

Sony Computer Entertainment (Japan) released today a new PSP firmware version 3.00. As usual the new firmware update will be available for all other region shortly; via network update and manual download.

UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE:
PSP Firmware 3.00: Japanese | US | European | Chinese

Firmware 3.00 includes the following changes:

GAME
★ PLAYSTATION®Network titles are supported under [GAME].

NETWORK
★ [Remote Play] has been added as a feature under [Network].
★ [Online Instruction Manuals] has been added as a feature under [Network].
★ Timed recording has been added as a feature under [RSS Channel].

MUSIC
★ A visual player has been added as a feature under [Music]. (screenshots shown below)
★ 3-speed fast forward and fast reverse has been added as a feature under [Music].

PHOTO
★ [Camera] has been added as a feature under [Photo].

SETTING
★ [UMD™Auto-Start] has been added as a feature in [System Settings] under [Settings].

The visual player (images courtesy of AVWatch)

Sony has provided two consecutive versions of SonicStage CP in just less than a month. SonicStage CP 4.1 debuted alongside the new NW-S70x series on October 21, 2006 and now the latest addition, SonicStage CP 4.2 is available for public download.

New features:
★ Importing and playing back in HE-AAC format is available.
- Format;*.3gp/
- It doesn’t support a copyrighted file.
★ Ripping Audio CD in HE-AAC format is available.
- Format;3gp
- Bit rate; 96kbps/80kbps/64kbps/48kbps/40kbps
★ DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) function is available. DSEE is a high-frequency completion technology developed by Sony that improves the quality of compressed audio and adds back in high frequencies that are often lost when audio is compressed. The resulting audio is closer to the original, more natural, and offers a wider sense of space.

Accordingly, SonicStage CP 4.2 now supports the following WALKMAN devices:

★ Hi-MD Walkman
★ Net MD Walkman
★ NW-E series
★ NW-A series
★ NW-S Series
★ NW-HD series
★ NW-MS Series
★ ATRAC CD Walkman

MODULE VERSION

SonicStage : 4.2.02.11020
SonicStage Add-on for Personal Audio Download : 4.2.02.11020
OpenMG Secure Module : 4.6.01.10041
MagicGate Memory Stick Device : 4.6.01.10041
NW-E2, NW-E3, NW-E5 and NW-E8P : 4.6.01.10041
OpenMG CD : 4.6.01.10041
M.S. PRO : 4.6.01.10041
CD Walkman : 4.6.01.10041
ATRAC Audio Device with Intelligent function : 4.6.01.10041
Hi-MD : 4.6.01.10041
Music Clip, NW-S4, NW-E7 and NW-E10 : 4.6.01.10041
ATRAC Audio Device : 4.6.01.10041
Net MD : 4.6.01.10041
EMD Plug-in: 4.2.02.11020
CD-R 書き込みモジュール(Audio CD/ATRAC CD/MP3 CD) : 4.2.02.11020
Px Engine: 2.7.33.500

DOWNLOAD LINKS: Sony Japan | Sony Europe | Sony USA | Sony Asia-Pacific | JEB

With just less than two weeks away from the official debut of PlayStation 3, SCEA executive VP, Jack Tretton, shares the party line on PS3 supplies, Blu-Ray, retailers, publishers and rivals.

(News Source: BusinessWeek.com; by Colin Campbell)

The desks at Sony HQ are mostly unoccupied. Their usual inhabitants have gone to prepare the way for PlayStation 3’s arrival; analysts to be courted, journalists to be persuaded, retailers to be assured, publishers to be mollified. Sony people are whizzing around the country.

Those few left in the humming Foster City office are also at Hardware Launch Defcon 1, a state of heightened being that transcends mortal needs such as rest and relaxation. For most SCEA people, this launch will count as a shining moment in their careers. It will take a Nuclear Apocalypse, the Rapture or PS3’s Abject Failure for this event to be rendered irrelevant as far as their resumes go. If you’re in the business of interactive entertainment, this here is the Big One; the one you don’t neglect to mention at job interviews.

Jack Tretton is in his office handling calls at a Cell processing rate. He manages to spare 27.4 minutes of fast-talk.

Tretton is executive VP in charge of the launch. If he should ever require the use of a resume, his will catalogue Sony’s journey from PS1 to PS3 with PSP in the mix.

Read the rest of this entry »

Yet another PSP game demo release from Sony. This time around, we are pleased to announce the advent of Ape Escape Academy 2 – the latest addition to the Ape Escape series.

As usual, the demo can be acquired accordingly within our download section of the forum. Note: A simple free forum registration is required to download the file - Register for free to participate in the #1 discussion board for ATRAC based device.

Instructions: Create a new folder - [UCES00302] - within PSP>GAME and copy the Ape Escape Academy 2 Demo file (EBOOT.PBP, 7,492 KB) into the newly created folder accordingly. Note: The official demo will require the new PSP firmware version 2.81.

In an apparent turnabout, Sony has decided to re-launch Sony PlayStation 3 in Hong Kong and Taiwan on November 17, 2006. Both these Asian markets originally have scheduled release date similar to its European and Australasia counterpart. As most of you know, the present delay time frame of March 2007 (for the aforementioned PlayStation 3 markets) is due to component shortages.

Accordingly, MSRP and release dates for both variant of PlayStation 3 for the Hong Kong and Taiwan market:

Hong Kong
PLAYSTATION®3 HDD 60GB
★ Release Date: November 17, 2006
★ Recommended Retail Price: HK$3,780 (approx. USD$486)
PLAYSTATION®3 HDD 20GB
★ Release Date: December 2006
★ Recommended Retail Price of HK$3,180 (approx. USD$409)

Taiwan
PLAYSTATION®3 HDD 60GB
★ Release Date: November 17, 2006
★ Recommended Retail Price: NT$17,980 (approx. USD$546)
PLAYSTATION®3 HDD 20GB
★ Release Date: December 2006
★ Recommended Retail Price of NT$14,980 (appro. USD$455)

Source: Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Limited and Sony Taiwan