scattered technology news

8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo - Saturday, January 27, 2007

Two weeks ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sony announced the long awaited 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. The card weighs less than two grams and is only 0.79 inches wide and 1.22-inches long. The Pro Duo card will work with plenty of Sony’s hardware media products such as the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Mylo, Sony Ericsson phones, and Cyber-shot digital cameras. Although this is good news for many, the current price isn’t. According to Sony, the 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo will be on store shelves next month (Feburary ‘07) for a retail price of $300!

Unless you absolutely want this much storage, we don’t reccomend wasting this much money on it since it costs about $100 more than the PSP itself. Prices should drop as soon as third-party companies such as Sandisk begin to manufacture these cards, however this may a while. As for now, prices on smaller capacities are getting quite cheap. You can now get a 1GB card for as low as $25 and a 2GB card for about $55.

P.S. At least the price is much lower than it originally was. During CES 2006 when the 4GB model was originaly released, the expected cost of the 8GB model was around $800!

Links: SonyStyle.com | Press Release

WordPress v2.1 Upgrade - Friday, January 26, 2007

Only about two weeks after the launch of WordPress 2.0.6 and 2.0.7, the WordPress crew finally pushed v2.1 (aka “Ella”) out of beta. WP2.1, rather than a patch, is a major upgrade from the 2.x series. The blogging engine, which Skatter Tech is currently running, now has a more powerful back-end for administrators to manage content. Although many plugins no longer work for 2.1, we recommend updating since it also includes over 550 bug fixes. The following is some of the major changes implemented.

WordPress v2.1 Features:

• Ajax AutoSave Posts - prevents loosing posts
• Tabbed Editor - WYSIWYG and Raw Code
• Ajax-based Spell Checker for composer
• XML Import/Export - transfer data between blogs
• Search Engine - custom indexing privacy settings
• Front Page - set any page as the main page
• Blogroll - many improvements and changes
• Login - redesigned screen from Shuttle
• Ajax Admin Panel - helps speed up tasks
• Comment Feeds - includes all rather than last 10
• Uploads - management for uploaded data
• Other: Cron support, new APIs, and more

We are pleased with the overall improvments the update brings. Managment and content seems to be flowing much faster than ever before. As we mentioned we are having diffucluties with some plugins, but most of the major ones either already have been updated or work.

Links: WordPress 2.1 ‘Ella’ | Download
Related: Instructions For 2.0.x to 2.1

PS3 Firmware v1.50 Update - Thursday, January 25, 2007

Only a few weeks after the previous firmware release, Sony pushed out another update, version v1.50, for the PlayStation 3. Unlike previous patches this update supposedly fixes larger issues such as the jaggedness which appears while playing certain PlayStation 2 games. Multiple patches have been released since launch which have fixed issues such as display problems with 1080i HDTVs and other minor bugs. If you plan to play ANY games on the PlayStation Network, you MUST update to this version (1.50). You will not be allowed to connect to an online game or even browse the online store unless the update is performed on your console.

Sony PS3 Firmware 1.50 Features:

• You can now select an image to use as the User icon from [Photo].
• [Key Tone] has been added as an option under [Sound Settings].
• [Delete Backup Data] has been added under [System Settings] > [Backup Utility].
• WEP 128, WPA-PSK (TKIP) and WPA-PSK (AES) have been added as security methods.
• The method for saving your password / signing in automatically under PLAYSTATION®Network has been changed. There are now 2 separate options.
• You can now enter text in Korean using the on-screen keyboard.

We updated our console with no issues what so ever. You may update your console in a variety of methods. Either download the update directly to the unit using the built-in System Update function or downloading the file from PlayStation.com and copying it to the PS3’s HDD. The update file is about 100MB so it may take a while to download.

Update: Sony has just released version 1.51 for the PS3. There is literally no changes since v1.50, but Sony’s changelog states “Support for PLAYSTATION 3 format software titles has been expanded.”

Links: PlayStation 3 Updates
Related: PSP Firmware 3.00

NEW Shure Headphones - Monday, January 22, 2007

During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Shure announced a major upgrade to their popular high-end consumer headphones. The four new Sound Isolating headphones all have “ever-wider frequency ranges,” move up a spot on the product line while remaining at around the same price, and are smaller than the previous models. The new headphones are also slightly more expensive than the previous models, which have been on the market for over two years, ranging from $150-500.

The Shure Earphones:

• SE210: The cheapest of the new line of headphones, but these Hi-Definition MicroSpeakers offer better sound quality than most headphones on the market. - (Range: 25Hz-18.5kHz) - [$150]
• SE310: Slightly better than the Hi-Defintion MicroSpeakers featured in the previous model, but now includes Tuned BassPort and reaches wider frequencies. - (Range: 22Hz-19kHz) - [$250]
• SE420: Even better frequencies and now have more powerful Dual TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers. - (Range: 20Hz-19kHz) - [$350]
• SE530/SE530PTH: Probably the best portable consumer earphones on the market today. These two feature a new Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers. Can hit even the lowest and highest notes, has dual woofers?, and better bass. - (Range: 18Hz-19kHz) - [$450/$500]

To ensure the new earphones will fit everyones ears, the package will include “a variety of sleeves.” These include small, medium, and large: Foam, Soft Flex, and Triple Flange Sleeves. All four models have a 45cm cord plus a 91cm extension cable (total 136cm) and come with a Carrying Case. In addition the Premuim Kit (only for the SE420 and SE530) include a Volume Control module, 1/4″ Adapter, and an Airline Adapter. Read More

The Apple iPhone & More! - Wednesday, January 10, 2007

After about three years of rumors and thousands of mock ups of an Apple Phone, the iPhone has finally been announced. Apple’s “reinvented phone” features a wide screen display, full iPod functions, touch controls, email client, web browser, and much more. The new device is more of a powerful smart-phone rather than a regular cell phone.

“iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone,” Steve Jobs, Apple CEO.

No More Keyboard:
Apple has eliminated the entire idea of a solid QWERTY keyboard, which appear on phones such as the RIM Blackberry and Palm Treo. According to their ideology, keyboards are a waste of space when not in use. To solve the issue they have replaced it with a touch sensitive virtual smart keyboard. The onscreen keyboard will appear while composing SMS messages, emails, chatting, or performing similar actions.

Visual VoiceMail:
Apple has “reinvented” voicemail as we know it. With the iPhone and Cingular service, Visual Voicemail will allow viewing messages in a list (similar to an email inbox) rather than having to call up a server and skip through multiple messages. With a click, any selected message can be played back instantly and can be paused/rewinded/forwarded like a song.

iPod Features:
The iPhone has “built-in iPod” which utilizes a 3.5-inch widescreen display. The unit is controlled using completely touch-sensitive controls. A new “scrolling” method is used to browse through lists of songs, albums, artists, or playlists. In addition to music, the iPhone supports playback of TV shows, movies (widescreen), audio books, podcasts (video and audio), and viewing photos. A cool feature it includes is the Cover Flow effect which appears while playing music, which was introduced into iTunes 7.0. Read More

WordPress 2.0.6: Fixes - Tuesday, January 9, 2007

A new version of WordPress (2.0.6), which fixes a major security flaw is now available. Although the update only fixes other minor issues, it is recommend you upgrade due to the security issue. For all WordPress users out there, version 2.0.6 which fixes a security flaw is now available. We upgraded Skatter Tech earlier today and had no issues what so ever.

WordPress 2.0.6 Features:

• The aforementioned security fixes.
• HTML quicktags now work in Safari browsers.
• Comments filtered to prevent messing up layout.
• Compatibility with PHP/FastCGI setups.

According the announcement, this is (or should be) the last minor upgrade before v2.1. The next major upgrade will bring plenty of new features rather than fixes to the engine. A beta of v2.1 is already now available for those who join the “beta group” on WordPress.org.

Note: There are apparently a few bugs which causes feed readers such as FeedBurner to have difficulty fetching feeds from this version. Despite this bug, is it is recommended you upgrade because of the security holes being patched. (A new v2.0.7 might be pushed out soon.)

Links: WordPress 2.0.6 | Download

Microsoft At CES 2007 - Monday, January 8, 2007

Bill Gates started off the Microsoft CES keynote with his thoughts on the rapid advancement that the technology market has undergone in recent years, and quickly tied it all into the release of Windows Vista and the importance of the new operating system. Other than Vista’s features, the keynote included information about their new Windows Home Server, Live Anywhere, Xbox IPTV, and a big deal with Ford Motors.

Vista’s ShadowCopy:
A neat feature, showcased by Justin Hutchinson, is called ShadowCopy, which in essence provides Vista with another safety net from human error. In short, it allows users who accidentally saved an incorrect version of a document or overwrote the wrong file to “restore previous versions of [the] document with just a couple of clicks” The feature is a lot like the current System Restore, but works on an individual file level. “It’s better than going back in time,” joked Justin (referring to OSX’s Time Machine).

Vista’s GroupShot:
Continuing with Vista, Hutchinson described how the Ultimate version of Vista will include downloadable extras for those of us willing to shell out the extra money for this particular version. One of the more impressive downloadable programs is Groupshot, which allows users to select parts of different pictures and combine them into one for a better overall image. The aim of this program is to fix awkward facial expressions of an individual in a series of group shots, where the face of a person in one image can be transplanted over onto his or her face in another image.

DreamScene Backgrounds:
Another Ultimate Extra is found in the form of DreamScene, which allows users to use full motion video as a desktop background. This feature will probably only be recommendable for those who have enough graphics horsepower to spare after having turned on Aero Glass, not to mention the patience to deal with a distracting video playing in the background. Read More

CES: Verizon - Mobile TV - Sunday, January 7, 2007

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless announced V CAST Mobile TV and two new phones to go along with it. The upcoming service will allow subscribed customers using either of the two new phones to watch standard TV channels “on-the-go.” Verizon Wireless is expected to launch Mobile TV by the end of March ‘07.

V CAST Mobile TV:
If you are wondering if this is different from the current V Cast Video, it is completely different. The currently available service only allows viewing short clips from major broadcasting networks, while Mobile TV will allow watching the same live broadcasted content you receive 24 hours a day on your regular TV. During the initial launch only certain TV channels such as CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, MTV, and NBC will be available, but more are expected to added the lineup soon after. Also since the content isn’t “on demand” you will need to check a program guide. This very similar to the grid guides found on Cable or Satellite TVs for finding timings when shows are aired. The schedules can be found on any Mobile TV enabled phones.

The 2 New Phones:
The first two phones to support this new service will be the Samsung SCH-u620 and the LG VX9400. Both phones feature a large and bright LCD display for viewing Mobile TV content. Also along with the new service, the phones will continue to support the “NOW standard” features such as V CAST Music/Video/Games, Mobile Web, and Get It Now. The two phones feature a 1.3 megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth (stereo headset support), speakerphone, and microSD expansion for music storage. A neat multitask feature will mute media (or pause if music) when a phone call is received and continue playback right after hanging up. Read More

Wii Replacement Straps - Friday, January 5, 2007

We just received our Wii Replacement Straps from Nintendo a few days ago. Nintendo has been sending out free replacement straps for any Wii owners who requests them. (link below) The new strap is much thicker and stronger than the originals included with the unit. (click image above to enlarge) Although there are numerous complains of Wii remotes “flying” at TVs, windows, walls, and children, we still were unable to break our strap with a decent amount of force. My feeling is that most of these complains came from people who decided not to wear the strap, but then blamed them faulty after they ended up breaking something.

If you own a Wii we suggest order one for just for extra safety. Nintendo will ship out a maximum of four straps per console (not remote). The straps are 100% free, no shipping tax or charges of any sort.

Links: Order Replacement Straps | Nintendo
Related: January 2007 Wii Games

New Wii, PS3, & 360 Games - Tuesday, January 2, 2007

January will be another slow month for new game releases for ALL the next generation gaming consoles. There will only be one game available for the PS3 and two games for each the Wii and 360. If you are waiting for new games to purchase, you might as well go pickup a currently available one unless you find something on the list below interesting. From our perspective, the only games worth purchasing this month are Sonic The Hedgehog for the PS3 and Fuzion Frenzy for the Xbox 360.

PlayStation 3:

• Sonic The Hedgehog - Sega

Wii:

• Baseball - Nintendo
• Urban Champions - Nintendo

Xbox 360:

• Fuzion Frenzy 2 - Microsoft
• Dance Dance Revolution Universe - Konami

Note: The items mentioned above are games for the PlayStation 3 and Wii that are planned to be launched in December 2006. The list is accurate as of 11/30/06, however game may be added or removed. Therefore check Nintendo’s and/or Sony’s webpage for any changes.

What console do you own? Purchase any games recently? - let us know!

Links: Nintendo Wii List | Sony PS3 List | Microsoft Xbox 360 List
Related: Upcoming PS3 & Wii Games: December