A company, creatively named PS Jailbreak, has come out with what’s called the first USB based jailbreak/hack to allow for the Sony PlayStation 3 “fat” and slim models.

PS Jailbreak is a USB plug and play solution that installs in seconds, keeping your valid warranty seal in tact.

Easy to use installer and GUI takes you step-by-step.

Compatible with all production models “fat” and slim PS3. Supports all regions: USA, JAP, PAL and KOREA

PS Jailbreak disables forced software updates and will never brick your console.

Supports all games (it does not allow backups of Blu-Ray movies, DVD movies, or past consoles games)

Backup games to your internal hard drive or external hard drive through USB and boot directly off GUI. Eliminating the need for expensive Blu-Ray burners and costly blank media.

Play backups off your hard drives 2X as fast as off the Blu-Ray drive. This eliminates lags and glitches to provide you with smoother game play.

Open up your console to a new generation of homebrew applications. Load homebrew apps/games off any USB hard drive/flash drive.

Fully updateable with new features/updates by connecting PS Jailbreak to any computers USB port.

I remember products like this being shown about for the Japanese PlayStation 2, which never came out if I remember correctly. This USB based hack, which promises to work with all existing games, will allow for downloading, backup and installing games to the hard drive. Which reminds me, aren’t Blu-Ray disks about 25GB or so each? That means barely 12 games for a 320GB hard drive.

Better hope they come out with a terabyte drive for laptops very soon. Retails for ouch $125.

Last thought… where is there a homebrew community for the PS3? There are some serious holes in the logic around this device; but it warrants for more research. You know this will get blocked by an upcoming Sony PS3 firmware update. Still interesting though…

[ Links: PS Jailbreak ]

Official word is that this is a “long ways” off, so there’s no date announced as of yet. Destined to come out on the current generation of videogame systems – so far the Sony PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 have been confirmed. I will express concern as to how uneven the mostly non-projectile but combo heavy Tekken fighters will fare against the projectile heavy and somewhat combo heavy Street Fighter warriors will be. Ultimately, I finally get to see who’d win between Akuma (Gouki) versus Heihachi Mishami.

Can’t wait.

[ Links: Street Fighter X Tekken Debut Video ]

Rumors have been circulating for some time that Hulu is planning a $9.95 subscription service with a select few episodes still available for free but a catalog of additional seasons available for a monthly fee. Those rumors continue to bubble over, with some anonymous sources insisting that the subscription “Hulu Plus” could launch as soon as next week though possibly only for a limited base of 10,000 testers. As you can imagine, stumbling blocks remain in Hulu’s negotiations with broadcasters, who cling tightly to program licensing out of fear of the broadband video (r)evolution. The service is also expected to see integration with the XBOX 360 but rumors also now point to PS3 integration as well.

Link to the original article…

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today announced that PlayStation Move motion controller for PlayStation 3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system will launch worldwide this fall, offering a motion-based, high-definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market.

Concurrently with its launch, SCE will also release PlayStation Move sub-controller to be used along with the motion controller for intuitive navigation of in-game characters and objects. The PlayStation Move platform, including the motion controller, sub-controller and PlayStation Eye camera, together with a strong lineup of software titles, will deliver an innovative and highly immersive experience on the PS3 system.

The claim that the experience is “unlike anything on the market”… um, Nintendo Wii controllers?

The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a color-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.

The newly announced PlayStation Move sub-controller is a one-handed controller, developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer. PlayStation Move sub-controller features a sleek curved design that pairs with the motion controller and comes with an analog stick and directional buttons that allow users to easily control the game when moving characters or choosing a direction. Like all other Wireless Controllers for the PS3 system, it comes with a built in lithium-ion rechargeable battery as well as Bluetooth technology, enabling the controller to transfer the input information wirelessly to the PS3 system without a cable. PlayStation Move motion controller and sub-controller will further broaden the gaming experience on the PS3 system for all genres, from games that use one motion controller to games that use both controllers.

All combined with a game + PlayStation Move controllers should cost less than $100 USD.

In case you’ve not heard yet, if you’re the owner of a non-slim Sony PS3, or “phat” or “fat” Sony PlayStation 3, it’s in your best interest to not try to play any games until either a fix is in place or until the datetime error is fixed.

“As you may be aware, some customers have been unable to connect to the PlayStation Network today. This problem affects the models other than the new slim PS3.

We believe we have identified that this problem is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system.

Errors include:

• The date of the PS3 system may be re-set to Jan 1, 2000.
• When the user tries to sign-in to the PlayStation Network, the following message appears on the screen; “An error has occurred. You have been signed out of PlayStation Network (8001050F)”.
• When the user tries to launch a game, the following error message appears on the screen and the trophy data may disappear; “Failed to install trophies. Please exit your game.”
• When the user tries to set the time and date of the system via the Internet, the following message appears on the screen; “The current date and time could not be obtained. (8001050F)”
• Users are not able to playback certain rental video downloaded from the PlayStation Store before the expiration date.

We hope to resolve this problem within the next 24 hours. In the meantime, if you have a model other than the new slim PS3, we advise that you do not use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained trophies, and not being able to restore certain data.

Bad part… now that I cannot play my Sony PS3, I actually want to play it now.

UPDATE: Sony has “fixed” the problem, proceed with playing your games and collecting your trophies in peace now.

[ Links: PS3 IGN, Sony's Secret Warranty Timer? ]

Before you jump to conclusions, it’s not that IBM will no longer manufacture that precious little chip that powers your Sony PlayStation 3, but the Sony, Toshiba and IBM co-developed processor will not see the previously announced 32 SPE processor ever happen now. Not by IBM at least. And previously, Toshiba bought out Sony’s stake in the Cell CPU foundry [ article here ] almost two years ago.

IBM’s most recent development in the Cell Processor’s design is the PoweXCell 8i, which is featured in the second most powerful supercomputer in the world; Roadrunner.

However, this is where Cell will end for IBM. The company’s Vice President David Turek, told German website Heise Online that the planned 32 SPE Cell processor will not be made.

Fret not… the PlayStation3 processor will still live on. And if Sony wants to use a variation of the Cell in the PlayStation4, I’m sure IBM can be convinced with a few briefcases of money. But it does make you wonder what else will happen for this “wonder” chip. Seems to me like it’s finally starting to lose to the faster, more efficient (to program for at least) CPU plus GPU combination.

[ PlayStation University ] [ Heise Online ] [ IBM ]