Sony Patent Handheld with "Digital Tactile Pixels"

- From Joystiq:

"Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) was granted a patent on Friday for a "hand-held [sic] device with touchscreen and digital tactile pixels." It'd be a stretch to say any of this is explicitly indicative of a PSP 2.0 or PSP phone, but it is interesting to note that "game device" is listed as one of the potential applications, alongside a plethora of other sony handhelds: phone, portable media player, email device, web browser device or navigation device.

As for defining "digital tactile pixels," claims 19 through 30 of the patent suggest that vibration acts as the "tactile" response. As our friends at PSP Fanboy point out, it could be a long time before we see anything to do with this patent (assuming we ever do).

Fun fact: The patent lists former Sony executive Phil Harrison as the inventor. Harrison, now the Directeur Général Délégué at Infogrames, was with the company when the patent was originally filed in January 2008."

Go! Series is Lifestyle Software for PSP

- Sony have announced their lifestyle app lineup for the PSP:

• Go!Messenger: Uses the PSP camera add-on for VoIP video chat.


• Go!Explore: gPs mapping software using the PSP GPS addon.


• Go!Cam: Turns the PSP into a digital camera


• Go!View, which uses the PSP antenna peripheral to turn the handheld into a wireless video-on-demand receiver. Sony is partnering with Sky in the UK for Go!View content.

PSP Firmware v4.01

- Sony have had to fix firmware v4.00 already:

"Hey everyone, here’s a quick heads up that a new PSP system software update, v4.01, will be released soon. This minor update includes the following:

* Display of search results under Internet Search has been improved for certain languages.
* Playback of video content under Video has been improved for certain file types.

Look for this update to become available during the next few hours."

PSP Firmware v4.00

- PSP Fanboy has the v4.00 firmware update.
- Google searching from the XMB and variable video speed playback have been added.

Happy Birthday PSP

- Three years old already?! PSP Fanboy put together a retrospective of the biggest 50 moments for the PSP since launch.

Dark-AleX Releases Time Machine

- Dark AleX is back on the PSP scene with a new release:

"TimeMachine 0.1
---------------

The Timemachine is a program to load previous firmwares and custom firmwares from memory stick using pandora. Like devhook, but working throgh pandora and custom ipl's, it would work even if the flash and nand ipl of the machine is destroyed.
The timemachine is useful to run software that is not supported anymore, and also as a way of booting psp's even if the internal firmware is destroyed. It can also be useful for developers to test their homebrew in different firmwares.

Currently the timemachine can install the following firmwares:

- Original 1.50 (can only be loaded on the phat)
- 1.50 with some 3.40 hw modules. Can be loaded on both, phat and slim.
- 3.40 OE (can only be loaded on phat)
- 3.60 M33 (can only be loaded on slim)

Rest of cfw will be added in the future.

Requeriments of time machine:

- The timemachine itself doesn't require any firmware, only a pandora battery.
Timemachine nand boot in slim, requires, however, 3.90 M33-2 or greater.
- The timemachine installer requires 2.71 SE or higher.

Instructions: Copy the TIMEMACHINE folder to /PSP/GAME and run.

All firmwares can be installed on whatever PSP (slim or phat), but they can only be used in the psp indicated in the option."

PSP Internal Hard Drive Mod Video

- PvP_LostKnight added a 30GB hard drive to his PSP! There’s apparently no size cap either, which means a hard drive well over 30GB in size can be installed. Files are accessed through the usbhost menu in iR Shell, as shown in the video below. It’s a very cool mod, but there is just one drawback. After installing the hard drive, you won’t be able to access the UMD drive anymore. So if you’re willing to do away with the UMD drive, then maybe this mod is for you. Enjoy!

PSP Firmware v3.80 and PS3 Firmware v2.10

- A little old this one, but from Joystiq:

"OK, Mr. Big Shot, so you already knew about the new, DivX-sporting PS3 firmware 2.1 going live today. But that's only because you read Joystiq. Never forget: We gave you that knowledge, and we can take it away. ... OK, so we can't do that. But we're working on it.

Perhaps a little more of a surprise for fans of Sony's small screen is the news that PSP firmware 3.80 has also appeared for you to download and enjoy. Most significant in this update is the new Internet Radio feature, which Sony says provides access to thousands of stations. The set-up instructions are pretty specific though, you can check them out after the jump."

Read - PSP Firmware 3.80 is live
Read - Firmware update (v2.10)

- Joystiq continues:

"DivX for the PS3 and internet radio for the PSP weren't the only treats buried in this morning's latest Sony firmware updates. Nope, they've got a little something special for those of you rocking both of Sony's latest consoles: PS1 games are now playable via Remote Play. What does that mean to you, Joe Gamer? You can download PS1 games on your PS3 through the PSN Store but, instead of swapping games on and off your no doubt ballooning Memory Stick, you can stream them straight from the PS3. You can also leave your favorite PS1 game in the drive and Remote Play that, if digitally distributed media ain't your thing.

Coupled with the PS3's recently acquired Remote Start capability and the PSP's internet-enabled Remote Play functionality, you can tap into that library of PS1 games at home from anywhere in the world. That's a pretty exciting feature ... but, there is one shortcoming: when's that library of PS1 games coming?"

PSP Media Manager now Free to Download

- From Engadget:

"The PSP Media Manager, which allows you to transfer files more easily to and from your Sony portable, is now available for free. The software is available via the Japanese website and installs with a Japanese menu, but after you get through all that hassle you'll discover the program runs in English.

The Media Manager is available for Windows computers only (sorry, Apple users). Now that it's free, is it too much to ask from Sony to have the software bundled with all future PSPs?"

Sony "planning" to bring Skype to PSP

- From Engadget:

"We won't call it "official" just yet, but it looks all but certain that Sony will indeed bring Skype to its famed PlayStation Portable. According to Reuters, Sony is "planning to add an internet phone function" (that'd be Skype) to its PSP in order to "stir up demand," which wouldn't be a half bad idea considering how the DS seems to be hogging the limelight of late. Purportedly, the software could become available "as early as this month," and while Sony spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka declined to comment on the rumblings, he did note that the company was "studying ways to add value to the PSP." Are you thinking what we're thinking?"