Sony PlayStation Vita Review

A few weeks ago, Sony released the PlayStation Vita, the follow-on product to the PSP and PSP Go.  I bought a 3G(AT&T)/WiFi US unit and I’ve been putting it through its paces…read on for details!

 

PS Vita

We told you about the Vita here, back when Sony was calling this product the Next Gen Portable (NGP) system.  Sony’s goal here was to introduce a gaming system with top-notch graphics to appeal to hard-core gamers who want a mobile gaming option.  Did they succeed?  We’ll give you our impressions!

Technical Specifications

Sony put a beautiful 5 inch OLED screen in the Vita, as well as dual analog sticks and a rear touch pad.  The screen is touch enabled as well.  Here are the complete specs for the US AT&T 3G model.

CPU ARM® Cortex™- A9 core (4 core)
GPU SGX543MP4+
External Dimensions Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth)
(tentative, excludes largest projection)
Screen (Touch Screen) 5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED
Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
Rear Touch Pad Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
Cameras Front camera, Rear camera
Sound Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
Sensors Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope,
three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
Location Built-in GPS
Wi-Fi location service support
Keys / Switches PS button
Power button
Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)
Right stick, Left stick
START button, SELECT button
Volume buttons (+/-)
Wireless Communications Mobile network connectivity (3G)
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi)(Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode)
Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP)

Overall Hardware

The Vita is a well-executed piece of hardware.  It feels solid in the hand, and the 5” screen that is the heart of the unit is beautiful.  The layout of the controls is similar to the PSP, but have been updated.  In particular, the addition of dual analog sticks is a welcome change from the PSP.

This is not a small unit…it feels heavy.  Since it is built like a tank, it is a bit heavier than the PSP, but it is much more capable.

The PS Vita uses proprietary memory cards, which are at least double the cost of SD format cards.  You must purchase a memory card to use with your unit…I purchased an 8 GB and a 16GB card to use with mine.  While I understand why they wanted a proprietary format, I wish that they had priced the cards a bit more reasonably.  If you plan on loading videos or downloading full games to the Vita, go with the largest memory card that you can afford.

System Software

The operating system is a customized version of Android.  Sony engineers worked hard to deliver a differentiated experience; this feels consistent with Sony and you can’t tell that it is running Android.

Here is the lock screen that you see when you start the PS Vita.

Vita Lock Screen

Did you notice the dog eared edge in the top right hand corner?  That is where you open up the lock screen to log into your Vita.  Just swipe from the top right hand corner down towards the bottom left corner and that opens up the lock screen to allow you to enter your access code.  This is how you close all apps on the Vita.  The lock screen looks like this:

Vita Access Code Screen

Google+ App for iOS Gets Updated to Version 1.0.15.5173

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Google have just updated it’s Google+ app for iOS devices.

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What’s New in Version 1.0.15.5173

– Hashtag support in posts
– Bugfixes and performance improvements

Go get it now from the Apple App Store.

How to Try Windows 8 Consumer Preview without using your own Personal PC as the Guinea Pig

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Introduction – Why do I want try something that will more than likely make my computer unusable?

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Since the days of Windows 95 when Microsoft has released Beta Operating System’s to be tried out by the General Public (Translated, Try at your own Risk) we the user population would have to hope and pray that if we installed the most likely Non Stable Volatile OS that Microsoft currently had to offer to try on our own Personal Computer that It would not blow up in our faces (Not literally but it sure felt that way). So why would we allow ourselves to do this? To try something on our perfectly good machines when we know there was over a fifty percent chance that it may cost us the user lots of time and work? This is because we wanted to see the new Features that Microsoft had to bring into their new OS that they were releasing and would it work for what we needed it to work for. So here we are almost 20 years later, The Windows 8 Consumer Preview has been released and once again we contemplate the same question; “Do I really want to screw up my perfectly working PC to try out Microsoft’s new OS ?” However, there is now a solution that was never readably there before and that solution is Virtualization. In this article I will be going over how to successfully obtain the necessary prerequisites and resources to configure your choice of Virtual Appliance to run Windows 8 consumer Preview on your Home PC or Laptop.

Before getting started let’s check to make sure we have everything we need to make this work…

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I have a friend who strongly believes in that before starting any computer related task that you should have a frosty cold one at your side in the ready position, this of course is optional and can be substituted for something with just a little bit more carbonation in it instead.

Now first and foremost is we need to make sure that the PC (Desktop or Laptop) will be able to host the virtualized OS (In this case Windows 8 Consumer Preview), so the following host PC should have the following as a Bare Minimum in Hardware specs. Most PC’s that were made in the last 4 to 5 years should be able to meet those specifications…

· Intel Pentium Dual Core or AMD Athlon2 XII equivalent with 64 bit architecture that supports Virtualization Technologies.

· 2GB (Preferably 3GB) of System RAM.

· Running at least Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (32 Bit or 64 bit) Operating Systems or Higher Versions (For Both VMware Player and Virtual Box). For Mac users most versions of OS X (Virtual Box Only)

Second, we need to download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview from Microsoft. You will be given a choice of either 32 bit or 64 bit versions of Windows 8, I recommend choosing the 32 bit version for your virtual evaluation so you can save on the host system resources. The only real difference between the 32 and 64 bit versions is how much RAM you will be able to use and for evaluating the Operating System 4GB is more than enough. When you get ready to download the ISO Image File try to download it on a T1 or Cable ISP for faster download times, while you can still use Broadband or DSL due to the size of the ISO Image it could take at least 1 to 2 hours to download.

Lastly, you will need to download your choice of Virtualization Appliance and install on your Host PC. This topic will be covered in the next section of this article.

Raspberry Pi Compliance Update – Good News!

Earlier this week we told you about the CE issue around the Raspberry Pi boards – now there is some good news on the situation.

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This is what has been posted on the Raspberry Pi blog tonight:

Good news! We just received confirmation that the Raspberry Pi has passed EMC testing without requiring any hardware modifications.

As you may know, we’ve had periods booked in a testing chamber at Panasonic’s facility in South Wales for the whole week. Jimmy and Craig from Gainspeed, our EMC consultants (with occasional assistance/hampering from Eben and the aid of many Asda sausage sandwiches), have been working into the evenings, and lost their Good Friday holiday to get all the testing finished. There is still a mountain of paperwork for us to sign, and that then has to be looked over by RS Components and element14/Premier Farnell; but that’s a piece of cake compared to what we’ve been doing all week. Given that we’ve had the chamber for the whole week, we’ve used the time to make sure that alongside the CE requirements, the Raspberry Pi also complies with FCC regulations (USA) as well as CTick (Australia) and what we’ve been calling “that Canadian thing”.

The Raspberry Pi had to pass radiated and conducted emissions and immunity tests in a variety of configurations (a single run can take hours), and was subjected to electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing to establish its robustness to being rubbed on a cat. It’s a long process, involving a scary padded room full of blue cones, turntables that rise and fall on demand, and a thing that looks a lot like a television aerial crossed with Cthulhu.

A cute story. Radiated immunity testing involves hitting the Raspberry Pi hard with narrow-band EM radiation, while checking (amongst many other things) that the device is still able to send Ethernet frames to a hub. The first time the team did this, the light on the hub stopped blinking: no frames were making it through. They did it again: still nothing. Finally, they discovered that the hub (which, I should point out, gave every appearance of being CE marked, so it should have been able to get through these tests itself) was being knocked out every time somebody pressed the button. Jimmy used a longer cable, put the hub outside the field, and found that the Raspberry Pi got through its immunity tests with no problems at all.

Finally, there’s small change to the legal gubbins. I know some of you felt like I did about the paragraph in our trademark rules which said that in products and websites, the words “Raspberry Pi” should only be used as an adjective to avoid genericisation – namely that it was a bloody stupid idea. This thing’s called a Raspberry Pi, not a Raspberry Pi computer. We at the Foundation call the computer a Raspberry Pi in conversation. So does everybody we’ve spoken to about it. We don’t abbreviate it to Raspicomp, but to Raspi or RP; none of the mountains of press coverage we’ve had have used Raspberry Pi adjectivally. So we had a chat about it; reminded ourselves that advice we get from our legal team is just that: advice, not binding instruction; and we’ve removed the paragraph from the trademark rules.

I can’t wait to get mine now!

Check out our write up of the Beeb@30 event including a video of Eben talking Raspberry Pi

The Home Server Show Episode 178 Out Now

Dave at the guys at the Home Server Show have released episode 178.

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Here’s what Dave has to say about this weeks show:

We have two servers to talk about.  The Lacie 5big Network 2 and the HP Microserver N40L.  Lots of other hardware to talk about and I’ve got a deal for you on Raxco’s PerfectDisk for Windows Home Server 2011 and version 1.  I’ll also show you how to transfer photos from your iOS device directly to your Windows server or PC workstation.

Download or listen to show 178 from here

Spotify app on Boxee updated

The Spotify app on Boxee has been updated, bringing with it a number of improvements.

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This is what Boxee posted on their blog:

Today we are excited to roll out an update to the Spotify app on Boxee, delivering the experience users have asked for and making Boxee the only set top box to bring these features to your TV!

For those who don’t know, a Spotify Premium subscription lets you stream all your favorite tunes from Spotify’s endless music catalogue right on your Boxee Box. With its recent Facebook integration, which makes it even easier to discover and share music with your friends, Spotify’s awesome service is quickly becoming the world’s social music center.

For current users, we listened to you. We’ve improved the app with:

Search

With access to Spotify’s full search built-in, now you can easily find and play any track, artist or album, even if it’s not in one of your playlists. Listen to whatever you want from Spotify’s millions of tracks.

Updated Inbox

Just like Spotify on your desktop, now you’ll know instantly when friends share a song, album or playlist with you. You’ll even see a notification icon whenever you have something new along with who it’s from.

Shuffle

The new shuffle feature lets you sit back and relax while Spotify does the DJ work with your tracks.

For those of you who have already been rocking out non-stop to Spotify’s music catalogue, you’ve got a few more reasons to bust a move. If you still haven’t checked out Spotify, try it for free here. Sign up for a Premium subscription to bring Spotify to your big screen with Boxee.

Have you tried Spotify on Boxee yet?

Apple releases Java for OS X 2012-001 security update

Apple has just released a Java for OS X 2012-001 security update.

Java

Java for OS X 2012-001 delivers improved compatibility, security, and reliability by updating Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_31.

LaCie announce the eSATA Hub Thunderbolt series

Today LaCie announced the availability of the eSATA Hub Thunderbolt Series, its latest peripheral featuring Thunderbolt technology.

eSATAHub_TB

This product delivers a solution for connecting eSATA hard drives to Thunderbolt-compatible Mac computers, making them backwards compatible. The eSATA Hub also boosts transfer speeds and allows users to daisy chain with other Thunderbolt peripherals.

Give New Life to eSATA Drives
Consumers with new Macs who are interested in getting the best possible speeds with their existing multi-interface drives are no longer limited to USB or FireWire connections. In addition, businesses, photographers or other creative professionals who have upgraded their Macs to versions without ExpressCard/34 slots are now able to capitalize on their previous investment in eSATA hard drives.

Daisy Chain Capability 
The eSATA Hub’s dual Thunderbolt ports allow users to daisy chain other Thunderbolt peripherals. This means users can connect up to 12 eSATA drives (6 Hubs x 2 eSATA drives per Hub) to a Mac while maintaining full eSATA 3Gb/s speeds. It also helps organize desktops by connecting both a Thunderbolt compatible display and storage device via a single cable to their Mac.

Availability
The eSATA Hub Thunderbolt Series is available through the LaCie Online Store and LaCie Storage Partners starting at the suggested retail price of $199.00.

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Learn more from the LaCie website

Twonky Beam Browser app for Android updated to 2.0.2

Twonky have just released an update to its Beam Browser app for Android.

Twonky Beam Browser

Twonky Beam Browser provides you with a simple and familiar way to discover and enjoy Internet videos with your tablet or phone and beam them to your TV or other media players on your home network.

When you visit your favourite websites, or discover new ones, Twonky Beam Browser will display a Twonky Beam button over the media files that you are able beam to your TV or sound system. The home page of Twonky Beam Browser contains links to popular websites with great content you can beam. Browse many pages at once through tabs, with the home page always available to you as the main tab. You can also create and manage bookmarks, so that you can easily find your favourite sites.

A simple tap of the screen will beam the chosen content to your selected player, such as your Airplay enabled, UPnP or DLNA certified device. The beaming mode in Twonky Beam Browser can be toggled on and off, allowing you to use the application to discover and enjoy content locally on your tablet or phone.

What’s in this version:

• UI improvements
• Tabbed browsing

Download from Google Play

Treat Yourself to an ARCHOS 3Cam Vision Media Play this Easter

ARCHOS today announced that this bank holiday weekend the Easter Bunny will bring a fantastic deal on the ARCHOS 3Cam Vision portable media player, the perfect non-chocolate treat for you and your loved ones.

archos

Available now at Currys and PC World online and in store for only £59.99 (reduced from £69.99), the ARCHOS 3Cam Vision is a portable media player for enjoying your photos, videos and music. Not only is the 3Cam Vision easy to use, but it affords users amazing image clarity and crisp sound.

The built in video camera lets you capture life’s important moments and then instantly play them back on the 3 inch screen. You can also watch them on your PC with a simple copy and paste from the device, or upload them to YouTube™.  The camera also allows you to take still images.

Other features include:

– 8GB internal storage – store up to 4,000 songs or 20 hours video

– 400 x 240 pixels colour screen

– FM Radio

– Music, photo and video playback with support for multiple formats

– Compatibility with Windows®or Mac® and Linux

If you buy one let us know what you think of it.

The Digital Lifestyle Show #348 – Next Week In Paper Tape

This weeks Digital Lifestyle Show has just been released – and it’s show 348.

DLS Show

Here’s what Ian says about this week show:

We have a packed show for you this week, Garry, Andrew and Jason join me to talk over the weeks news including Windows 8 support in Made for Media Center, Ceton Windows Phone apps, Plex Windows Phone apps, My Movies updates, DVBLink updates, more Raspberry Pi delays, the cost of switching mobile platforms and details about our next user group meetup.

You can listen to or download the show from here.

PressReader for the iPhone and iPad Updated to Version 3.1

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At the start of December we reviewed PressReader, an app for iOS devices to read newspapers and publications. PressReader has just been updated to version 3.1.

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What is PressReader?

PressReader is a free application that enables you to download your favourite publications to your PC, Mac, tablet, mobile device or eReader allowing you to read them even when you’re offline.

Enjoy your favorite daily read from a selection of more than 2,000 newspapers and magazines from 95 countries in 51 languages with PressReader!

With every article, advertisement, crossword puzzle and cartoon presented in its original context, PressReader offers many of the same rich user interface and intuitive interactive features PressDisplay.com users have come to love.

And with the added convenience of being able to hold your favorite publication directly in your hands and read it from cover to cover just the way you would in-print, PressReader makes reading full-content digital replicas an absolute delight with features such as:

  • Flipping pages like you’re reading a real publication
  • The ability to pan, zoom or rotate pages, articles and photos
  • Navigating publications using thumbnails or table of contents
  • Opening full articles in easy-to-read text views
  • Listening to publications using on-demand audio
  • Searching online across titles and selecting the titles you wish to download

What’s New in Version 3.1

✓ Full Retina Display optimization for iPad 3
✓ Instant translations of full publications in up to 12 languages
✓ Auto-translation of all publications into a specific language with the ability to specify exceptions
✓ Saving articles to Evernote and Instapaper
✓ Stability and performance enhancements

Download from the Apple App Store

My new New iPad Book is now finished

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As many of you probably know by now I write a lot of books! Well my next book, An Introduction to the New iPad is now finished and will be out very soon.

The book is a 128 full colour pages which help you setup and configure your New iPad and how to get the most out of it.

new ipad book

The price is £7.99 and it will be available in the next few weeks.

Why not pre-order it today? Well I had to try Smile

Sky Announce Sky WiFi Hotspots from The Cloud and Sky Cloud WiFi app

From mid-April millions of Sky Broadband customers will be able to quickly and easily access free, unlimited and high-speed WiFi at thousands of public places across the UK through new Sky “WiFi Hotspots from The Cloud”.

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Located in popular and useful locations such as in transport hubs, shopping centres and coffee shops, WiFi Hotspots from The Cloud will allow eligible Sky Broadband customers to take unlimited broadband with them whilst out and about, providing reliable, flexible and fast internet access across the high street and beyond. An estimated 4m people every day pass through The Cloud network by visiting one of its partners, including major outlets like Pizza Express, Caffè Nero, Eat, Pret A Manger, JD Wetherspoons and Wagamama, as well as First Great Western trains. Over 4,000 hotspots have been added to The Cloud’s network since 1st January 2012.

WiFi Hotspots from The Cloud will be available at no extra charge to all Sky Broadband Unlimited, Sky Fibre Unlimited and Sky Connect customers, removing the need to worry about mobile data caps or intermittent or overburdened 3G mobile coverage. Research shows that Sky customers are more likely than average to own smartphones and tablets, with around a third of Sky homes watching video content on their smartphones and more likely to want to get online, whether to catch the latest news headlines, watch video services such as Sky Go, use Facebook and Twitter, email or simply browse the web.

A free “Sky Cloud WiFi” app will be available for iOS and Android devices from mid-April and, once downloaded and registered, will allow people to automatically connect their smartphone or tablet to the internet without having to log-in ever again. This removes the hassle of signing into WiFi networks as there’s no need to remember passwords or log-in details each time you want to get online.

People can register up to six devices per household, helping families to ensure both parents and kids can make the most of the service. And just as with Sky’s unlimited home broadband, there will be no data allowances or usage limits, so customers can surf, stream and download with ease.

Free WiFi access is just one of many benefits on offer to Sky Broadband customers. Sky Broadband continues to be the UK’s fastest growing broadband provider, offering great value, reliable broadband, supported by industry-leading customer service, with Ofcom rating Sky Broadband customers most satisfied of any major broadband provider when it came to customer service. Each weekday thousands of customers join Sky Broadband to benefit from a totally unlimited broadband service which is completely free from any fair-use policies and data caps.

Lyssa McGowan, Director of Communication Products at Sky, said: “Whether it’s to go on Facebook, watch favourite TV shows with Sky Go, catch up on the news or send an email, our customers can now enjoy high quality, reliable and unlimited broadband whether it’s at home or when out and about. WiFi Hotspots from The Cloud now gives millions of Sky customers quick and easy one-touch access whenever they want to be online. And by ensuring our hotspots are located where our customers need them most, they know they’ll never be far from a high speed connection. With a one-off registration process, they’ll automatically connect to the network, which takes all the usual hassle out of connecting to WiFi.”

All Sky Broadband Unlimited, Sky Fibre Unlimited and Sky Connect customers are eligible to use WiFi Hotspots from The Cloud, and they do not have to be a Sky TV customer to benefit from it.

The launch of the “Sky Cloud WiFi” app makes it the 11th app to be added to Sky’s growing family of popular apps helping people to find, watch and do more on the move. Sky’s suite of apps for mobile devices have been downloaded more than 22 million times and Sky Go now has more than 10 million user sessions per week.

For more information about Sky Broadband visit www.sky.com/broadband

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