Sony copies Nintendo through ‘Life with PlayStation’ service

Despite pulling in billions of dollars each year, it would appear certain videogame heavyweights prefer to take their inspiration from industry rivals rather than invest profits into true originality.

Not that lifting ideas from the competition is in any way new to the technology industry (how many pseudo iPods currently exist?), but should that justify the constant pocket pilfering going on between the likes of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo?

More pointedly, Sony Computer Entertainment is this week hollering from the rooftops about the introduction of its new ‘Life with PlayStation’ online service, which, while expanding its own portfolio of user variety, looks not entirely dissimilar to Nintendo’s established Channel service.

Described as a “new lifestyle service” for the PlayStation 3, Sony’s latest attempt to drive the popularity of its PlayStation Network (PSN) launched globally yesterday and offers users “a new visual and interactive way to use their PS3 to access news and information from around the world.”

Sony also notes that Life with PlayStation is “only possible on the PS3’s feature-rich platform.” Yet, its initial Live Channel provides users with international news and weather focusing on a selection of cities around the planet, which is remarkably similar to the basic version of the Channel-based online user service initially rolled out on the Nintendo Wii.

Of course, Sony expects to expand the Channel variety it will deliver through Life with PlayStation, but Nintendo has already been there and ‘created’ the T-Shirt, there’s little denying that Sony’s service is neither original nor only possible through the PlayStation 3.

Wii Channels. Image: Nintendo Wii Rules/Flickr.

 

And this isn’t the first time Sony has performed a reach-around and liberated an idea from the opposition without bothering to at least buy dinner and splash out on a movie.

At the beginning of this hardware generation, it (poorly) aped the Wii’s motion-sensing capabilities via the SIXAXIS controller, and more recently it unveiled the Trophy system, which sees the profiles of PlayStation 3 users bestowed with awards unlocked during gameplay -- essentially re-labelling the Achievement system long-since created by Microsoft for the Xbox 360.

Sony’s not alone in the criminal line-up however. Microsoft unveiled its personal Avatars with bold aplomb at this year's E3 while papering over the fact that the concept borrows heavily from the user-created Mii avatars already used on the Nintendo Wii. Set for inclusion on the Xbox 360 Dashboard, Microsoft’s take on avatars will arrive through an imminent Xbox Live downloadable overhaul.

While Nintendo might not be quite so guilty of light-fingered swiping when it comes to market rivals, gaming’s supposedly shining beacon of innovation is far from being without reproach.

Specifically, it is presently facing a patent infringement lawsuit from Maryland-based electronics lab Hillcrest in relation to its cutting-edge Wii controllers, while Texas-based Anascape is looking to have the courts ban the Wii’s classic controller for patent infringements related to its design.

Of course, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and consumers favouring one platform over another are bound to want to experience the best features of rival consoles for themselves, which likely motivates the suits holding the purse strings to copy rather than create.

That being said, beyond the smoke and mirrors employed to pass off revamped ideas as their own, it would be refreshing to see gaming hardware companies (or any tech player for that matter) actually admit they’ve changed the name, spruced up the aesthetics, and added just enough differentiating features to avoid a courtroom beating.

That’s not likely to happen through, is it? It’s not as though Bill Gates publicly held his hands up while launching Windows.

One extension of Sony’s actual originality that is attached to Life with PlayStation and certainly worth a mention is the connection to Folding@home.

Specifically, those PlayStation 3s registered for submitting processing power to Stanford University’s ambitious protein-folding project will be able to contribute whenever launching Life with PlayStation. They will also be able to monitor where they stand in terms of total contribution via the inclusion of a special Folding@home ranking system.

By joining the project, PlayStation 3 users freely give processing power from their console’s Cell chip to a supercomputer of networked consoles. This massive global input is designed to help Stanford University perform complex protein-folding simulations and better understand and investigate the causes and possible cures for a whole host of diseases.

Set to follow the emergence of Life with PlayStation is Sony’s eagerly anticipated and delay-addled PlayStation Home virtual user environment for the PlayStation 3, which will see personal virtual avatars existing in a massive interactive world… (cough) not unlike Linden Lab’s hugely popular online world Second Life.

From : http://www.thetechherald.com

Nokia Viral Video 'Leaks' Qwerty E Series

The strategy of Viral Video marketing is getting out of control to such an extent that now they can't even exist without pretending they aren't meant to be there in the first place...

So not fooling anyone is Nokia's decision to let slip a highly polished commercial for two as yet unannounced new E series Qwerty smartphones: the E72 slider and E75 candybar. So what do we learn?

Aside from that we are supposedly living in a Gillet-model dominated, yuppie society undergoing a revolutionary architectural boon during this Recession Credit Crunch - not an awful lot. That said what we can ascertain is in the case of the E72 Nokia looks to have squished a full sliding Qwerty keyboard into one of the slimmest bodies to date, that it features an accelerometer and both models offers WiFi and HSDPA connectivity, MMS (no, the irony isn't lost on us either) and unrealistically fast loading web pages (thanks for starting this horrible trend Apple) from a full scaling browser.

Cameras also get shown off but given the models' business aspirations I wouldn't be holding out hope for much more than a fixed focus 3.2MP snapper (ok, maybe autofocus could be thrown in).

Clearly designed to go after the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile markets more than the love it/hate it Cupertino device the E72 and E75's polished ad suggests the duo will soon be market ready. Q4 for sure, but just when who knows?

Link:
Video via YouTube

Nokia N95 8GB: Innovation With A Huge Heart Inside

Roomy and robust, Nokia N95 8GB is a gadget lover’s delight. The manufacturer made real endeavours to bring it as close to perfection as possible by incorporating features way above in excellence as any other mobile phone of its kind.

The connoisseurs of the gadget world will definitely agree that Nokia is another name for perfection. The brand was one of the very first mobile phone tycoons and took no time to make a follow up of its admirers with its unbeatable performance, unique features and remarkable endurance. Questions on the quality of its deliverance never arose and till now there are people who can trust Nokia even with closed eyes. Nokia never compromises with any aspect of its phones and has maintained its standards till date.

The N-series of this brand is another flagship in this arena. The craze of a high-end all-in-one mobile phone is initiated by this series. Each new invention of this series has fresh and improved novelties that accounts for the consistently increasing supporters of this brand. The N-series exemplifies sophistication and class. When the launch of the N-Series was announced it became quite obvious that yet another Nokia giant is about to rule the market. It was when the first mobile of the series actually came into the mobile phone battle, people realised that it is not just another Nokia phone, but a spectacular piece of invention that deserves to be applauded heartily. The Nokia N95 8GB is one among that over-the-top series of high-end mobile phones.

From its out-of-the-world looks to its extraordinary features, every aspect of this phone testifies that Nokia N95 8GB is not made to stand among the ordinary phones in the market. It stands out in the crowd as it is bulging with way-out features of the highest degree reached till date. For instance, the storage memory of this mobile phone is hard to find anywhere else. With a fathomless memory of 8 GB, the user can take along a whole vast world of his favourite tracks, videos and pictures. The memory never gets exhausted.

The Nokia N95 8GB gives a range of features to share, exchange and download data and cram this 8 GB internal memory with your never ending desires. The Bluetooth v2.0 lets you make merry with your friends by sharing your best pictures and videos.

The awe-inspiring features of this phone don’t end at the vast memory. This phone has a calibre of a mini PC as it comes with 128 MB SDRAM with Dual ARM 11 332 MHz CPU. This gives the phone the gauge to give an unsurpassed performance. It also supports 3D Graphics and comes with a HW Accelerator.

You will find internet connectivity like never-before in the Nokia N95 with GPRS and EDGE of the highest grade (Class 32) till date. The class 32 GPRS is known to be the supreme version till now. That means you no longer have to wait endlessly for getting access to internet. The class 32 EDGE makes the connectivity and browsing swift and reliable. You can browse the web quickly with no data loss. With the nokia n95, the traumatic moments of indefinite wait to get connected to the Internet are gone. This third generation phone has HSDPA to curb out the remaining bits of connectivity delays.

Though every feature of this Nokia legend is truly amazing, yet the camera of this phone steals the show. It has a 5 MP camera giving a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. A range of add-ons makes the camera the best feature of this phone- like autofocus, view through Carl-Zeiss optics, video at 30fps and a secondary video call camera. With the TV-out port you can view your videos on your television.

The Nokia N95 8GB is full of high-class features making it extremely desirable, still it does not compromise on the battery power. The standard Li-Ion 1200mAH (BL-6F) of N95 gives an awesome back-up with nearly 6 hours talk-time and 280 hours standby time.

With launch of the Nokia N95 8 GB, Nokia has secured its position in the hearts of the gizmo-geeks for years to come.

From : http://www.pressemeldungen.at/

Colourful fruits and veggies enhance vision

To enhance your vision, eat more colourful vegetables and fruits, a recent pilot study by a Singapore hospital found.

Alexandra Hospital said the study showed that high levels of macular pigment, which is derived from eating dark-coloured vegetables and fruits, was associated with better vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

AMD is a severe ocular disease characterised by progressive degeneration of the macula, and is the most common cause of blindness among people aged 60 and above, in developed countries.

In a statement today, the hospital said the study conducted in its Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Departments outpatient clinic involved 60 Singaporean Chinese participants aged 50 and above, of which 46 of them were diagnosed cases of AMD.
Their macular pigment (MP) was measured using the Macular Metrics Densitometer, a state-of-the-art instrument that quantifies MP in the human eye.

During measurement, participants were asked to adjust a flickering light using a dial until it stopped flickering, while viewing the stimulus centrally, and then peripherally.

By comparing the two measurements, the instrument was used to quantify the amount of MP in their eyes.

The hospital said the MP was made up of carotenoids which were derived entirely from diet and could not be synthesised anew in the human body, and the higher the MP, the better the vision.

It said carotenoids represented one of the most widespread groups of naturally occurring pigments, and were largely responsible for the appearance of different colours in commonly used vegetables and fruits.

Some rich sources of carotenoids included maize, pumpkin, orange pepper, green leafy vegetables, kiwi, grapes, oranges and berry (lycium barbarum), the hospital said.

The World Health Organisations global data on visual impairment in 2002 showed that AMD ranks third, after cataract and glaucoma, as the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

From : http://www.nst.com.my/

Asus makes laptop gaming ‘affordable’

ASUS HAS MADE AN EFFORT at creating an affordable gaming laptop. It’s called the G50V and Laptop Mag has one at the office for review. Not too big, not too expensive, great performance… it’s very good, but then again, there’s the Gateway P-7811FX, says Todd, which you can buy for about the same price and scores higher on gaming. There are a lot of neat Asus features in there too, it seems. Find out what’s up with the G50V.

Tom’s Shardware has compiled its latest VGA charts, now consisting of 101 configurations and spanning five generations-worth of hardware. These not only list performance but also show how a decent CPU removes bottlenecks from the overall system performance, particularly in the high-end. Tino Kreiss is making Intel’s case on this one… read it here.

Hardware Zone has a roundup of 8800GT’s… whoops… or is that ‘9800GTs’? The 9800GT is a slightly different class than the 8800GT as it offers performance for a lower buck, and – best of all – better temps (and no whiny fan). Kenny got Gigabyte, Palit, Asus and Zotac together and mixed them up. Some funny stuff going on with the Palit and Gigabyte cards, tho’… they have different coolers, but they’re drawing about 40W extra… deemed “worth looking into”, here.

Overclock 3D has some 2x2GB Ballistix kit from Crucial that they’re testing. It’s rated as DDR3-10600 (1333MHz), but does some great overclocking at 1600MHz where it hit its ceiling. The best part was that the memory performed well at install without having to manually set anything. The price isn’t what you’d want, the £206 seems a bit heavy, but then again it *is* DDR3. Read it here.

Eliot at Fudzilla tore Via a new one with their review of the Nano CPU. Although the review is harsh, comparing the CPU to things from a decade ago, it seems that the sample motherboard is to blame. This is the first review that’s really found the Nano to be lacking, but maybe it really is the motherboard… You can read it here.

Zaward isn’t a name you most likely know. Neither is Gyre, for that matter, but TweakTown has a Zaward Gyre CPU cooler in the lab today. As heat-pipe CPU coolers go, the Gyre does a decent job – and it looks like Zaward is on the right path – but some fine tuning is required for the brand to go head-on against the big boys. Availability? Well, try and find one yourself, ‘cos Chris just couldn’t guarantee it’d be on a shelf near you. Read about the Gyre, here.

XS Reviews also has a fairly unknown contender in the CPU cooler arena: the AMA Serac 770. AMA is a specialist manufacturer of watercooling systems, that happens to make this particular piece of kit. XS says it’s all very silent, efficient and fun to set up, but as water cooling goes it just barely outperforms high-end air-coolers. It’s dead quiet but no info on pricing has made this a judgement call. Read the quizzical article here.

From : http://www.theinquirer.net/

News Bits: Gateway Unveils New Notebook, HP Still #1, ASUS Ships Illegal Software

Gateway unveiled its latest notebook, the MC series, at a press conference this week. The MC is a serious step-up for Gateway in terms of style and attractiveness. One of the most interesting design features is a strip of black leather running down the center of the lid. Other design features include an orange backlit keyboard and brushed aluminum palmrests.

The MC series will feature a 16:9 aspect ratio, 16-inch display with resolutions up to full HD (1920x1080). The screen has a piece of glass over it that spans edge-to-edge, much like the Infinity displays on HP's HDX notebooks (to which the MC will be a head-to-head competitor).

There are no official specifications for the MC series yet, but there will be both AMD and Intel versions.

Full Story (LAPTOPMag.com)
Via (Engadget.com)

ASUS shipping notebooks with illegal software

Many ASUS owners on various discussion boards are reporting finding confidential and personal information, plus illegal key generators on their new notebooks.

Full Story (APCMag.com)
Via (Engadget.com)
Special thanks to forum super moderator Johnny T for submitting this bit

HP remains #1 in notebook shipments

According to research done by DisplaySearch, HP was number one in the world for notebook shipments by volume in the second quarter this year. HP has now held that position for two straight years. The real growth in the notebook PC market has come from consumers, one of Dell's troublespots. Dell has recently been concentrating on the consumer notebook market, and has seen consistent shipment increases.

DisplaySearch also found that the market share of traditional 4:3 non-widescreen notebooks has dipped below three percent.

Full Story (DigiTimes.com)

Nvidia cutting 6.5% of workforce

Nvidia this week announced that it will be cutting approximately 6.5% of its workforce, about 360 jobs. The layoffs will be complete by October.

Full Story (NYTimes.com)

ASUS P552w smartphone ready to compete with HTC Touch

ASUS has recently unveiled its competitor to the original HTC Touch smartphone called P552w. The device competes with the original HTC Touch and not the Diamond because of the QVGA (240×320 pixels) screen, as opposed to VGA (480×640 pixels) which is used in the Diamond.

The ASUS smartphone relies on the quite fast 624MHz CPU and sports such things as built-in GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2 megapixel camera and more. The company’s Glide UI sits on top of Windows Mobile 6.1, ensuring users enjoy easy access to their photos, videos, RSS feeds and more.

Unfortunately, we’re not aware how much the ASUS P552w will costs once its released nor where you’ll be able to grab it. However, I would expect to see it hitting Europe within weeks, maybe months, with the price that’s about the same as the HTC Touch.

[Via: Electronista]