Filed under: Gaming

It’s here kids, in-game XMB demonstrated on a firmware 2.40 PS3 for the first time. Yup, that’s the clock and date displayed upper-right with a quick hit of the PlayStation button. Sony also tells that the 2.40 firmware update will deliver the Google search bar (like the PSP update last week) and the ability to play and control your own music stored on the hard drive in-game. See that and more in the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: In-game XMB demonstrated on PS3 v2.40

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Multimedia, Verizon Wireless

Rhapsody, the digital love-child of Real Networks and MTV, is best known for its DRM’d subscription music service. As such, the globe’s population of sheep-white-earbudded, sidewalk zombies have been completely off limits to its charms. Until today. While its DRM’d subscription deals remain in place, Rhapsody is now offering unprotected MP3 downloads via its Rhapsody MP3 store and via partners including Verizon’s VCAST over-the-air service and Yahoo. We’re talking 5 million DRM-free tracks (generally priced at $0.99 per song, $9.99 per album) from Indies and the four majors. Uniquely, all tracks can be previewed in full before downloading. Rhapsody VP, Neil Smith said, “We’re no longer competing with the iPod, we’re embracing it.” Perhaps, but Rhapsody’s planned $50 million marketing assault on iTunes with the help of MTV’s TV networks doesn’t exactly make them best of friends. We’re not DRM-free across the industry yet (in fact, far from it), but things are certainly moving in that direction.

Update: Signup now with the Rhapsody MP3 store and get a $10 credit which can be applied to your first album.

[Via Reuters]

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: HSDPA, UMTS, HSUPA

As much fuss as we make about 3G, the impact it has on the mobile experience, and the death of old-school GSM as a viable technology, deployed WCDMA networks in their various forms are still just a drop in the bucket when compared to the GSM subscriber pool as a whole — even in 3G-rich Europe. A new report from market research firm Informa Telecoms and Media reveals that European 3G users now number 101.5 million, which works out to about 11.1 percent of the some 910.8 million wireless users in the continent. Norway, Sweden, and Italy all individually broke 25 percent 3G penetration, but even so, that paints a very interesting picture of the overwhelming importance of the legacy infrastructure. With EDGE Evolution on the way, it could continue to play a majority role well into the next decade, too.

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Original post by Chris Ziegler

Filed under: Multimedia, Software, RIM

We’ve known for a while that support for iTunes synchronization (songs, artwork, playlists, the whole nine yards) would be coming to the BlackBerry platform, and very briefly last week, RIM unleashed that capability on the world. It’s unclear why the software was pulled — maybe it just wanted to release the software to more fanfare, maybe it was buggier than a standing pool of swamp water — but either way, BlackBerry users desperate to get their sync on should still be able to nab the goods from a number of mirrors hosted by vigilant (and quick-thinking) users around the world while we wait for RIM to decide when to introduce it again.

[Via Gear Diary]

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Original post by Chris Ziegler

Filed under: Gaming, GPS

An enterprising nerd by the name of Ryan VanMiddlesworth is clearly a bigger Portal fan than you, since he’s cobbled together a GLaDOS-simulating voice pack for Garmin Nüvis. Just don’t try to prevent “GLaGPS” from constantly trying to divert you to cake-related points of interest, else you may find yourself tossing your Garmin into an incinerator. Video after the break.

Continue reading GLaDOS GPS voice pack just wants to help you find your way. To the morgue.

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Original post by Ryan Block

Filed under: Orange

Following a rather unceremonious rejection of a $41 billion offer earlier in the month, rumors are swirling that France Telecom is adding some extra cash onto its bid for TeliaSonera, a juggernaut carrier and ISP serving Nordic and Baltic countries. France Telecom’s flagship brand is Orange, and if some sort of deal does go through, it could theoretically lead to Orange becoming one of the dominant carriers in the world with control over a huge swath of European spectrum. The talks, which are apparently still underway, are said to be extremely fragile — they could end in tears of joy or sadness at any moment — and France Telecom would like to get a deal done by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. More on this one as it develops.

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Original post by Chris Ziegler

Filed under: Cellphones

MetroPCS may not have the largest wireless footprint in the States, but they did take a jab at the larger two CDMA carriers by announcing their intention to take on any Verizon and Sprint customers ready to jump ship — as well as any “compatible” devices they may want to bring along with them. Sprint already supposedly does this (although we’ve still yet to hear of it actually really happening), but the specifics of MetroPCS’s MetroFlash seem equally unclear. It doesn’t sound like they’ll reprogram just any CDMA device that walks through their doors, though, just the ones they’ve had a chance to test on their network. Definitely kills the buzz (and the number of devices that can be ported), but a little open is still kind of better than totally closed, right?

[Via Seattle P-I]

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Original post by Ryan Block

Filed under: Gaming

Well, what do you know? That Guitar Hero axe that was spotted a few months back on How I Met Your Mother was actually a sneak peek of the six string that comes bundled with the new Activision title. The unwavering rockers over at FW Labs were able to secure a copy of the game in Chile before most everyone else on the planet, and rather than enjoying their fortune without telling a soul, they decided to snap a host of photos and even upload a few videos of the experience. The new toys in the attic are right there in the read link.

[Thanks, David]

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Original post by Darren Murph