The PS Vita is finally here…. Well the Wi-Fi edition is finally made its way to stores today for those who decided to wait a bit longer and not get the First Edition Wi-Fi + 3G bundle that came out. This is Sony’s revamp into the handheld gaming market looking to take a bite out of the market that Nintendo has dominated for so long.  For $250 the Wi-Fi edition PS vita comes with a 5. inch OLED touch screen display, quad-core gaming processor, SIXAXIS front and rear facing cameras, rear multi-touch pad, GPS, Bluetooth and standard PlayStation controller layout.  You won’t find any onboard storage you will need to go and buy the storage cards that are proprietary and pricey at the moment.  There is also tight integration with the PlayStation 3 with being able to play only on the PlayStation Vita against a PS3 user with the same game.  Sony could possible have a winner here and really take on the Nintendo 3DS and DS Lin and may even slow down the threat of Apple in this market against the iPod Touch. Check out our unboxing and first impressions video below.

Full Specs:

CPU- ARM^® Cortex™- A9 core (4 core)

GPU- SGX543MP4+

External Dimensions

Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth)
(tentative, excludes largest projection)

Screen (Touch Screen)

5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED
Multi touch screen (capacitive type)

Rear Touch Pad

Multi touch pad (capacitive type)

Cameras

Front camera, Rear camera

Sound

Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone

Sensors

Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope,
three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass

Location

Built-in GPS
Wi-Fi location service support

Keys / Switches

PS button
Power button
Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)
Right stick, Left stick
START button, SELECT button
Volume buttons (+/-)

Wireless Communications

Mobile network connectivity (3G)
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi)(Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode)
Bluetooth^® 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP

The PS Vita is set to be Sony’s attempt to get back into the handheld gaming market that is dominated by Nintendo and now smartphones and tablets using the Android or iOS platform.  The PS Vita is a portable powerhouse with a 5 Inch OLED multi-touch display, quad-core processor,  front and rear facing VGA cameras, dual analog sticks with your standard PlayStation controller configurations and a touch panel on the back to add a different element of touch controls to certain games. There is a Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G option that will go for $249.99 and $299.99 respectively.

Playing some of the games available on the Vita were pretty fun and the console felt comfortable to hold for long gaming sessions. Graphics are impressive and the menu UI is unique to the platform. It’s due out February 22nd and we’ll be getting ours to review right away.

We will be hosting a live blog even for Sony’s CES 2012 press event. Sony looks be going in the direction of connected devices and streaming entertainment with Smart TVs and electronics. There is sure to be some android related stuff as well from their mobile division now fully owned by Sony. We should get more details on the US launch of the PS Vita as well. Bookmark this page here for the live blog event starting at 5 PM PST on Jan 9th.

Sony today announced at their E3 2011 press seen their next portable handle console the PS Vita.  The PS Vita is the official name of the codenamed NGP system. The PS Vita is a quad-core system with a 5 OLED touch screen display, dual analog thumb sticks d-pad, standard PlayStation button, six-axis motion controls, front and rear facing cameras and a touchpad on the back.  Top-tier original titles will be coming to the system such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Ruin, Street Fighter X Tekken and well-known favorites such as LittleBigPlanet and ModNationa Racers.

The system will come in both Wi-Fi and 3G models with the 3G version being sold by AT&T exclusively. The wi-fi model will sell for $249.99 US and the 3G model will go for $299 US with expected release time at the end of 2011. We will definitely get some hands on time on the show floor tomorrow with the PS Vita. Share your thoughts and check out the press releases below.

Press Release 1:

Sony Computer Entertainment Announces “PlayStation®Vita” as the Official Name for Next Generation Portable Entertainment System

Wi-Fi Model: 24,980 Yen (including tax), $249 and euro 249
3G/Wi-Fi Model: 29,980 Yen (including tax), $299 and euro 299

Realizes Unparalleled Interactive Network Entertainment

TOKYO, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE)today announced PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) (PCH-1000 series) as the official platform name for the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP). Wi-Fi model will be available for 24,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $249 in US and euro 249 in Europe, 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available for 29,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $299 in US and euro 299 in Europe and successively launch in global market starting the end of 2011.
“Vita,” which means “Life” in Latin, was chosen as the most appropriate name for the next generation portable entertainment system as it enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. SCE is aiming to transform every aspect of user’s daily life into an entertainment experience.
PS Vita incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. Together with the front touch screen and the rear touch pad, PS Vita offers new game play experiences never before seen on any device, allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion, through “touch, grab, trace, push and pull” finger motions. Also PS Vita features two analog sticks which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience, such as shooters, action games, and fighting games. Exciting and attractive new titles*1 are scheduled to be released from SCE Worldwide Studios, including “GRAVITY DAZE,” “Uncharted Golden Abyss,” “Little Deviants,” “Hot Shots Golf,” “Reality Fighter,” “Hustle Kings,” “ModNation Racers,” “Wipeout 2048″ and “Super Stardust Delta,” as well as from a broad range of third party game developers and publishers, which will deliver value only possible on PS Vita.
Also, by having both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, together with various applications, PS Vita will enable infinite possibilities for users to “encounter,” “connect,” “discover,” “share” and “play” with friends wherever they are. On January 27, 2011, SCE announced the first PS Vita application, “near,” which will come pre-installed. It will let users discover what games PS Vita users in the vicinity are or were recently playing, as well as let users share their game information. “near” also enables location-based gaming features such as “gifting,” in which a user can access virtual game-related items that other users are sharing, through checking in at geographic locations that others have also visited. The virtual items can include content unlocked from games, such as character costumes, weapons, and treasures. Sharing these items between users adds a unique dimension to the portable gaming experience on PS Vita while enhancing the social connectivity among the PS Vita community.
Additionally, PS Vita will come pre-installed with a newly developed application called “Party.” “Party” is an innovative application for a portable entertainment system which enables users to enjoy voice chat or text chat not only during online gaming, but also when users are playing different games or using different applications such as internet browser. Through “Party,” which offers a new form of social networking, and “near,” which enables users to share their game information with other users anywhere, anytime, users can dramatically expand the boundaries of interactive communication.
Also a tutorial application called “Welcome Park,” developed specifically to guide every user about PS Vita’s brand new user interface such as the front touch display and the multi-touch pad on the rear, will come pre-installed. By playing “Welcome Park,” users can easily become accustomed to the three dimension-like finger motions used on PS Vita.
SCE will vigorously promote PS Vita towards the launch as the next generation portable entertainment platform and work towards expanding the portable gaming market.*1 Some title names are tentative. Titles may differ by countries and regions.

Press Release 2:

Sony Computer Entertainment America Unveils Exciting Details About Next Generation Hardware and Exclusive Software

SCEA Continues Long-Standing Tradition of Delivering Groundbreaking Technology and Unrivaled Content at the 2011 E3 Media & Business Summit

LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. (SCEA) today announced at its annual press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles, Calif., a stunning line-up of PlayStation® products, services and exclusive content that will change the way consumers experience their favorite games and entertainment at home and on-the-go.
“We are dedicated to providing our consumers with the types of entertainment offerings that have made PlayStation a definitive leader in the gaming and portable entertainment industries for more than 15 years,” said Jack Tretton, CEO and President of SCEA. “With the official North American unveiling of PlayStation®Vita as well as the introduction of an extensive line-up of software, hardware and services, the PlayStation platform has never been stronger or more exciting for our customers. We believe that 2011 will be a defining year as we usher in a new era of portable gaming and drive widespread adoption of 3D through our content and hardware offerings.”
Introducing PlayStation®Vita
In March 2005, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system defined new standards in portable entertainment and provided game enthusiasts worldwide with a new way to experience games outside of their living room. The PSP system broke through traditional boundaries then and has gone on to sell more than 70 million units since its launch. In January, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced a new portable device for a new generation of gamers — the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP).
Today, SCE announced PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) as the official platform name for NGP. A Wi-Fi model will be available for 24,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $249 MSRP in US and euro 249 in Europe, while a 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available for 29,980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $299 MSRP in US and euro 299 in Europe. PS Vita will launch in the global market starting at the end of 2011.
Derived from the Latin word “Vita,” which means “Life,” this next generation portable entertainment system enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context.
The PS Vita system incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. Together with the front touch screen and the rear touch pad, the PS Vita system offers new game play allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion, through “touch, grab, trace, push and pull” finger motions. Also the PS Vita system features two analog sticks which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience.
In addition to the PS Vita system pricing, SCEA also revealed today that AT&T, which powers the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, will be the exclusive service provider in the United States for the PS Vita system. The speed and coverage of AT&T’s mobile broadband network will ensure that PS Vita system users will remain connected to content and each other on the go.
On the content front, SCEA showcased a robust collection of software titles developed exclusively for the PS Vita system. Featured titles including UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss™, LittleBigPlanet™ and Ruin (working title) utilize the platform’s groundbreaking technology to make unprecedented immersive, interactive and social game play available on-the-go. UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss takes full advantage of PS Vita’s stunning OLED screen to deliver vibrant cinematic visuals and combines input from the front-touch screen and dual-analog sticks to create the most intuitive 3rd person shooter experience available on a portable system. Also making use of PS Vita’s unique feature set, LittleBigPlanet allows users to Play, Create and Share like never before with the system’s front touch screen and rear touch pad as well as its front and rear cameras. Finally, Ruin brings the ultimate social action RPG experience and also delivers interoperable compatibility for players to save their game on the PS Vita system and continue on at home using the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system. Adding to this selection of innovative games, SCEA unveiled a collection of PS Vita titles that will be available including wipEout®, ModNation™ Racers, Reality Fighter (working title), Super Stardust™ Delta, Sound Shapes, Hot Shots Golf®, Hustle Kings™ and more.
Additionally, conference attendees received a look at Capcom’s STREET FIGHTER® x TEKKEN® for the PS Vita system which will feature Cole MacGrath as a playable character from the popular PS3 franchise, inFAMOUS™.
PlayStation®3 system
Currently in its fifth year, the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system continues to experience tremendous momentum, recently surpassing 50 million units sold worldwide. To-date, more than 2,300 games have been made available for PS3 including 108 stereoscopic 3D titles and 184 PlayStation®Move titles, and that momentum continues into 2012. Expanding PS3 system’s industry-leading catalog of stereoscopic 3D games, SCEA presented a selection of new entries from fan-favorite series featuring full stereoscopic 3D support including UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception™, Resistance®3 and God of War®: Origins Collection. SCEA also announced the return of one of PlayStation’s most beloved franchises, Sly Cooper®: Thieves in Time™, which will treat players to an all-new adventure in stereoscopic 3D featuring classic characters, Sly, Murray and Bentley. In addition, SCEA introduced new titles utilizing the innovative PlayStation Move controller to deliver unique motion gaming experiences such as Everybody Dance™, Carnival Island (working title), and Medievil Moves: Deadmund’s Quest™.
In addition to an unprecedented line-up of first-party titles, third-party support for the PS3 system has never been stronger. Content shown at the conference includes the highly-anticipated first-person shooter BioShock Infinite from 2K and Irrational Games which will support the PlayStation Move motion controller, and will also include the original BioShock on the PS3 Blu-ray disc.
Additional exclusive content that will only be found on the PS3 system was announced for titles including Saint’s Row: The Third from THQ, Electronic Arts’ SSX™, Need for Speed™ The Run, and Battlefield 3™. For Battlefield 3, the PS3 version promises to be bigger than any other as Electronic Arts will be using the extra storage capacity of the Blu-ray to add a second game to the disc, Battlefield 1943, one of the most popular games available on PlayStation®Network.
Innovations in stereoscopic 3D
As a leader in 3D entertainment and gaming, SCEA kicked off the 2011 press conference at E3 on the world’s largest 3D screen – showcasing a breadth of first- and third-party titles coming this year in 3D that is unmatched.
SCE today also announced the upcoming availability of the new PlayStation branded 3D Display. The 24-inch full HD LCD display will give PS3 users easy, affordable access to stereoscopic 3D entertainment. Available this fall, the 3D Display comes bundled with 3D Glasses, an HDMI cable and the highly anticipated Resistance 3 title from Insomniac Games for PlayStation®3 (PS3®) at an attractive recommended retail price (MSRP) of US$499.99. The 3D Glasses will also be sold separately, concurrently with the 3D Display launch for MSRP of US$69.99.
Designed to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, the 3D Display comes equipped with a special two-player feature, which allows two players playing a multi-player game to see individual, unique, full-screen images of gameplay using the bundled 3D Glasses and supported software title.
PlayStation®Network
With more than 77 million accounts worldwide, PlayStation®Network continues to be one of the largest networked entertainment platforms in the world and is the premier destination for games, TV and movies, sports and music entertainment. Today, SCEA announced that coming this fall , BestBuy’s CinemaNow video service will be accessible to PS3 owners, providing consumers with access to more than 12,000 of their favorite TV episodes and movies for rental or purchase.
Publisher support for PlayStation Network continues to remain strong as CCP introduced a new PlayStation Network exclusive title, Dust 514®, which will feature PlayStation Move support and also be made available for the PS Vita system. Another exciting game coming exclusively to the PS3 system and PlayStation Network in 2012 is Star Trek™ from Paramount Digital Entertainment. The game, which continues the adventure that director and producer J.J. Abrams envisioned with Star Trek™ (2009), boasts a story filled with action- packed combat and will be fully PlayStation Move enabled. Paramount Digital Entertainment will also offer an exclusive prequel to the game only on PlayStation Network.

Photo Via: Joystiq

It’s finally coming out the once rumored PSP Phone then became the Xperia Play is coming to Verizon Wireless on May 26. The Xperia Play is the first PlayStation Certified phone powered by a 1.0 Ghz Snapdragon processor with Adreno 205 GPU for powerful 3D graphics, 4 inch multi-touch display, 5 Megapixel rear facing camera, VGA front facing camera, 3G data speeds and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.  If you don’t know much about the Xperia Play check out our in-depth hands on that we got at CTIA 2011.  It will be $199.99 on a two year contract. Check the Press Release and video below.

Press Release:

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Take conference calls, send emails and win football’s biggest game, all on one device. The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, for Verizon Wireless, redefines mobile gaming by combining all the features customers expect from a fully-featured smartphone with the ultimate gaming experience.

Powered by Android™ 2.3, Gingerbread, the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will come pre-loaded with seven game titles including, Madden NFL 11 (EA Sports), Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior (Digital Legends), Asphalt 6: Adrenaline (Gameloft), The Sims 3 (EA), Star Battalion (Gameloft), Crash Bandicoot (Sony Playstation) and Tetris. Customers can expand their video game library with more than 50 game titles available at launch for download via V CAST Apps. Customers easily become gamers with the slide out game pad revealing a directional keypad, dual analog touch joystick, two shoulder buttons and the four iconic PlayStation® symbol keys: circle, X, square and triangle.

Additional Features:

• 1 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon® II processor with Adreno 205 GPU
• Adobe Flash Player
• 4-inch multi-touch display
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera
• VGA front-facing camera for still shots and video chatting
• Support for Google Mobile Services including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™, Google Search™, Google Maps™, and access to more than 200,000 apps available to download from Android Market™
• Mobile hotspot capability- share 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices

Pricing and Availability

• The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available for pre-order online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning May 19, and in stores on May 26 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Sony Ericsson Xperia™ Play customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access and an unlimited smartphone data plan is $29.99 for monthly access.

Game Developers

• The gaming experience can only get better as additional games are being created. Developers have the flexibility to focus on content and not worry about binary file sizes when submitting apps to V CAST Apps. Developers can visithttp://developer.verizon.com/play for additional information about game development for the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. To learn more about the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY, visit www.sonyericsson.com.

 

Via Verizon Wireless

PDP announces a new fighting stick for the new Mortal Kombat game coming soon. The stick will have custom artwork design and be available in the limited released Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition game.  Tournament gamers will get the change to use the fight stick  in an upcoming tournament between May 14 – 15 in Las Vegas where players will battle for $21,000 in prizes. See the full press release and pictures below.

Press Release:

PERFORMANCE DESIGNED PRODUCTS ANNOUNCES THE MORTAL KOMBAT FIGHT STICK AND THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN MORTAL KOMBAT TOURNAMENT

PDP Issues The Ultimate Tournament Challenge To Gamers in Las Vegas This May With $21,000 in Prizes At Stake

LOS ANGELES – March 9, 2011 – Performance Designed Products LLC (“PDP”), a worldwide leader in the video game accessory market, today announced that PDP is producing the Mortal Kombat Fight Stick, as well as sponsoring the first ever North American Mortal Kombat tournament. The Mortal Kombat Fight Stick is the ultimate arcade-style joystick controller for the upcoming Mortal Kombat video game, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by NetherRealm Studios. The Mortal Kombat Fight Stick will also be used at the tournament happening in Las Vegas, NV, on May 14 and 15, where the top contestants will battle for $21,000 in prizes.

“Mortal Kombat is one of the most recognizable video game franchises on the planet and has a huge audience of dedicated fans,” said Tom Roberts, Chief Technical Officer, Performance Designed Products. “We’ve created the ultimate joystick for these fans and now we’re bringing them all together to find the top Mortal Kombat player in North America.”

Once Mortal Kombat players have had the chance to practice and familiarize themselves with the absolute control of the PDP Mortal Kombat Fight Stick, they will be able to pit their fighting prowess against one another in the Mortal Kombat tournament. PDP will be bringing together thousands of serious combatants within Bally’s Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, NV where hundreds of matches will be played using the fight stick in front of members of the Mortal Kombat design team. (Participants must be 18 years or older.)

PDP and NetherRealm Studios have collaborated to produce the Mortal Kombat Fight Stick, which features exclusive custom artwork. The Mortal Kombat Fight Stick will only be available as part of the Mortal KombatTournament Edition or for sale in extremely limited numbers on PDP.com. The Mortal Kombat Fight Stick has been designed to reflect the look and feel of the classic Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet and its ergonomic button layout has been updated with additional design and technological touches to create the ideal joystick for serious console players.

The inner workings of the Mortal Kombat Fight Stick are composed of high quality arcade parts from Suzo Happ and are easily accessed without the need of any tools. Inside the joystick base, all parts and wires are protected by a unique plastic shield emblazoned with the Mortal Kombat logo, and there is room to store cables and a copy of the game. The underside of the Mortal Kombat Fight Stick is lined with velvet-wrapped memory foam for the comfort of players who hold the stick on their lap, while rubberized feet at the bottom corners will prevent the stick from sliding when placed on a table or similar surface.

Mortal Kombat, the newest chapter of the award-winning videogame franchise, will be on store shelves starting April 19^th, 2011 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. It marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic. Mortal Kombat will introduce a number of new gameplay features including tag team, a deeper story mode, and nostalgic online and offline arcade battles. Players will be able to choose from an extensive lineup of iconic warriors and challenge their friends in traditional 1 vs. 1 matches as well as several new game modes.

In addition, Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation will make their Blu-ray debuts on April 19^th from Warner Home Video.  Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation are also available for download through Sony PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, iTunes, Amazon and other online retailers.  The films are also available On Demand from cable and satellite providers.

For more information log onto www.themortalkombat.com and www.facebook.com/mortalkombat.

To order a limited-edition Mortal Kombat Fight Stick, visit http://www.pdp.com

For more information about the game, Mortal Kombat, log onto www.themortalkombat.com and visit www.facebook.com/mortalkombat.

To review the rules and sign up to take part in PDP’s $21,000 Mortal Kombat national tournament in Las Vegas, NV on May 14 and 15, visit http://www.pdp.com/mortalkombat

###

About PDP
Performance Designed Products LLC, a Lynn Tilton company, is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing products for all major video game platforms including the Sony PS2, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, and Microsoft Xbox 360, as well as a line of accessories for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. The company has been supplying video game accessories to the U.S. market for more than a decade. PDP sells products under a variety of brands, with sales in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe and Australia & New Zealand. PDP is a trademark, of Performance Designed Products LLC.  © 2011 Performance Designed Products LLC.  For more information on PDP and its products, visit www.pdp.com.

About Patriarch

Patriarch is a vertically-integrated private equity firm with robust in-house operational turn-around expertise. Founded in 2000, Patriarch was built upon a patented financial model designed to manage and monetize the distressed portfolios of financial institutions. Patriarch has since evolved into a global investment firm that concentrates on direct investments in and the transformation of complex businesses, building integrated industry platforms. Patriarch manages funds with over $7 billion of equity and secured loan assets, with equity investments in more than 70 companies and controlling interests in approximately two-thirds of these. For more information, please visit www.patriarchpartners.com.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

Mortal Kombat™ © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by NetherRealm Studios. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Mortal Kombat and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

LG Showed us their new NAS the LG MM1 that will allow you to share your content from anywhere you are.

The LG MM1 was the first device shown which is a 1TB model that includes a built-in slot DVD burner and auto converting which will do the work on your content to make sure it works on any device of your choosing from iPod, Android, PSP and so on. 

LG wants to give you new ways of connecting to your NAS via a new android app that will allow you to steam and share your music and video right from the NAS to your phone.   You can take your pictures right from your phone and upload them directly to the NAS.

LG also offer other NAS with bigger storage and some have DVD writer built into them and some don’t have all the auto converting features.

Sony Erricson has finally come official with the the long rumored PSP Phone now officially name the Sony Xperia Play.  The phone will be an Android 2.3 Gingerbread powered phone with an official PlayStation certified slide out controller.

Quick Specs:

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread with retooled Timescape UI
• 1 Ghz Processor
• Adreno 250 GPU for powerful 3D gaming
• 60 FPS 3D gaming play back
• 5.1 Megapixel Camera with LED Flash

One of the more interesting details of the phone is that it will be coming exclusively to Verizon in the US which is out of the norm for Sony Ericsson which  usually favors the GSM side is going CDMA on this one and with Verizon.  I’m wondering if its due to the known network issues with AT&T and their data network that they wanted to go with a more reliable data network even though its not as fast as AT&T.  Gamers are going to want consistent connections and any interruption in that is not going to fly so I can see Sony Erricson reasoning for this.

Should be shipping in March and Verizon says “early spring” for a launch time window.

Check out pictures, full press release and full specs below and live video hands-on below.

Press Release:

February 13, 2011, Barcelona, Spain – Sony Ericsson today announced the game changing Xperia^TM PLAY, the latest phone in its Xperia^TM range of Android based smartphones.

Xperia^TM PLAY delivers the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer would want.

In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers all the benefits that users have come to expect from Sony Ericsson’s existing range of Xperia^TM smartphones with best-in-class entertainment experiences, a great 5 megapixel camera, a brilliant 4” multi-touch screen and great social networking features.

However, slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver silky smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.

Rikko Sakaguchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer at Sony Ericsson commented: “Today is a very proud moment for Sony Ericsson as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.

Xperia^TM PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s Android^TM platform. The Xperia^TMPLAY will also be the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation® game content provided through the PlayStation® Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year.

Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said: “I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony’s strong assets.”

Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available via the Android^TM Marketplace. Leading franchises coming to Xperia™ PLAY includes EA’s The Sims 3 and a multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.

Mr Sakaguchi continued: “The launch of Xperia PLAY could not have been possible without the close collaboration of both Google and Sony Computer Entertainment. The commitment of so many industry leading game publishers further demonstrates that Xperia PLAY will deliver on the long-held expectations from consumers the world over.”

Xperia^TM PLAY and PlayStation Certified gaming are great examples of the kind of innovation that’s possible in the open Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.

A pre-loaded application will enable users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia PLAY, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available globally in selected markets from March 2011

What do our content partners say?

Electronic Arts, Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile:
“EA collaborated closely with Sony Ericsson to bring exciting versions our best-selling consumer favourites such as The Sims™ 3 and EA SPORTS™ FIFA 10 to the Xperia PLAY. The device’s dedicated gaming keypad gives FIFA players what matters most in a footy game — ultimate ball control, quick player selection on the pitch, effortless passes and more. The Xperia PLAYS’s unique gamepad also delivers robust control in The Sims 3 bringing a whole new life simulation experience to fans of the franchise. We look forward to watching consumers interact with our great games in new ways through the Xperia PLAY.”

Gameloft, Michel Guillemot, President:
“We are pleased to partner with Sony Ericsson to offer a catalogue of 10 of our best-selling games at launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY,” said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. “My vision since the creation of Gameloft was to turn video games into a true mass market form of entertainment. This vision is realized with the launch of Xperia PLAY, which combines a perfect smartphone for daily use as well as a real game controller to provide the best gaming experience ever seen on a mobile phone. Gameloft will support the launch with more than 20 titles over the next 6 months that will take full advantage of the power of this device.”

Glu Mobile, Niccolo de Masi, CEO:
“Glu’s strategic relationship with Sony Ericsson aligns us with a leading innovator in mobile and gaming. We look forward to accelerating our momentum in social mobile gaming with compelling offerings on Sony Ericsson’s newest mobile devices.”

Content partners at launch include:
Sony Computer Entertainment
Digital Chocolate
Digital Legends
Electronic Arts
Fishlabs
Gamehouse
Gameloft
Glu Mobile
Handy Games
Namco Bandai Networks
Polarbit
PopCap
Trendy Entertainment
Unity Tecnologies

For further information, images and videos visit www.sonyericsson.com/mwcnews

Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY

Camera

• 5.1 megapixel camera
• Auto focus
• Flash / Photo light
• Geo tagging
• Image stabiliser
• Send to web
• Touch focus
• Video light
• Video recording
• Video blogging

Music

• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Google™ Music Player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™ service*
• Sony Ericsson Music player
• Stereo speakers
• TrackID™ music recognition application

Internet

• Android Market™*
• Bookmarks
• Google™ search*
• Google™ Voice Search*
• Pan & zoom
• Web browser (Webkit)

Communication

• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook™ application (from Android Market™)
• Google™ Talk*
• Noise Shield
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Sony Ericsson Timescape™***
• Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)
• Vibrating alert

Messaging

• Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)
• Conversations
• Email
• Google Mail™*
• Instant messaging
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• Auto rotate
• Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)
• Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)
• Picture wallpaper
• Touchscreen
• Wallpaper animation

Entertainment

• 3D games
• Dedicated gaming keys
• Flash Lite™
• Gesture gaming
• Motion gaming
• Video streaming
• YouTube™

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document editors
• Document readers
• E-Manual
• Flight mode
• Google Calendar™
• Google Gallery 3D™
• Infinite button
• Phone book
• Set-up Wizard
• Widget manager

Connectivity

• 3.5 mm audio jack
• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• DLNA Certified
• Google Latitude™
• Google Location Service
• Google Maps™ with Street View
• Media Transfer Protocol support
• Micro USB Connector
• Modem
• Synchronisation via Facebook™**
• Synchronisation via Google Sync™
• Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
• Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
• USB 2.0 high speed support
• Wi-Fi™
• Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality

* The service is not available in all markets.
** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.

Google™ services*

* These services may not be available in every market Android Market™ Client

• Gmail™
• Google Calendar™
• Google Gallery 3D™
• Google Latitude™
• Google Maps™ with Street View
• Google Media Uploader
• Google Music Player™
• Google Phone-top Search
• Google Search widget
• Google Sync™
• Google Talk™
• Google Voice Search
• Set-up Wizard
• YouTube™

Screen

• 16,777,216 colour TFT
• Capacitive multi-touch
• 4 inches
• 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)

In-Box:

• Xperia™ PLAY
• Battery
• Stereo portable handsfree
• 8GB microSD™ memory card
• Charger
• Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
• User documentation

Facts

• Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
• Weight: 175 grams
• Phone memory: up to 400 MB
• Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GB
• Memory card included: 8GB microSD™
• Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7

Talk time and networks Networks

• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*
• Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*
• Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*
• Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*
• Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*
• MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*

Networks

• UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO

Colour

• Black
• White

Legal
1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant. 2) Operational times are affected by network
preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. playing games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011

The Liquid Identity logo and Xperia are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer.

PlayStation® is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice.
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, SE-221 88 Lund, Sweden.
Printed in January 2010, R1A

Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years the company has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the most entertaining smartphones in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.

PDP announced today their new fighting pad in time for Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 the Marvel Versus Fighting Pad for the Xbox 360. Available for pre order now at www.pdp.com

From PDP:

The Marvel Edition Versus Fighting Pad is a wired, six button controller that is specifically designed for AAA fighting games on the Xbox 360. Just as you would expect to find on an actual arcade game, micro switch activators have been used for the thumb stick and the front 6 buttons to give the user true arcade accuracy when playing fighting games with this controller.  The thumb stick is custom designed and constructed to act like a real arcade joystick but with a more comfortable and compact feel of a thumb pad. The pad itself is an asymmetrical design, shaped to reflect the way fighting gamers naturally hold a controller and to make button access easy and comfortable. The 3 x 2 action button layout is ideal for all of the AAA fighting game titles out there, making the Versus Fighting Pad the ultimate choice for fighting games. The pad is coated with a special no-slip finish and sports an explosive piece of artwork from Marvel’s recent Siege comic book miniseries.

Press release:

MARVEL’S SUPER HEROES AND SUPER VILLAINS BATTLE ACROSS SPECIAL EDITION GAME CONTROLLER FROM PERFORMANCE DESIGNED PRODUCTS

Special Marvel-Themed Version of PDP’s Patented Versus Fighting Pad Available in February

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 7, 2011 – Performance Designed Products LLC (“PDP”), a worldwide leader in the videogame accessory market, today announced the limited edition Marvel Edition Versus Fighting Pad for the Xbox 360. This new game pad has been designed specifically to appeal to both fighting gamers and fans of Marvel comics, with high-quality parts, unique design and explosive artwork taken from the pages of one of Marvel’s biggest events of 2010: Siege. The Marvel Edition Versus Fighting Pad will be available at retail and on PDP.com for a suggested retail price of $39.99 beginning February 14, 2011.
“In the last few years, fighting games have re-emerged as an incredibly popular genre in the console gaming world, with a dedicated, serious audience that demands high-quality tools,” said Tom Roberts, chief technical officer, Performance Designed Products. “We have designed the Versus Fighting Pad to be the ultimate game pad for fighting-game players while reflecting the super heroics of Marvel in this special-edition controller.”
PDP has joined with Marvel to create the Marvel Edition Versus Fighting Pad, a patented, wired six-button controller specifically designed for AAA fighting games on the Xbox 360. As players would expect from an actual arcade machine, high quality micro-switch activators have been used for the thumb stick, which has been custom designed and constructed to feel like an arcade joystick but with the more comfortable and compact feel of a thumb pad.
The Marvel Edition Versus Fighting Pad buttons have been placed in the expected six-button configuration on the face of the pad to give the user true arcade feel and accuracy when playing fighting games. The thumb stick has a rubberized, over-tooled cap while the pad itself has a satin grip finish, which means that the controller moves exactly as players demand without slipping out of their hands.
Players can order the Marvel Edition Versus Fighting Pad from http://www.pdp.com

###

About PDP
Performance Designed Products LLC, a Lynn Tilton company, is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing products for all major video game platforms including the Sony PS2, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, and Microsoft Xbox 360, as well as a line of accessories for the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The company has been supplying video game accessories to the U.S. market for more than a decade. PDP sells products under a variety of brands, with sales in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe and Australia & New Zealand. PDP and Versus are trademarks of Performance Designed Products LLC.  © 2011 Performance Designed Products LLC.  For more information on PDP and its products, visit www.pdp.com <http://www.pdp.com> .
About Patriarch
Patriarch is a vertically-integrated private equity firm with robust in-house operational turn-around expertise. Founded in 2000, Patriarch was built upon a patented financial model designed to manage and monetize the distressed portfolios of financial institutions. Patriarch has since evolved into a global investment firm that concentrates on direct investments in and the transformation of complex businesses, building integrated industry platforms. Patriarch manages funds with over $7 billion of equity and secured loan assets, with equity investments in more than 70 companies and controlling interests in approximately two-thirds of these. For more information, please visit www.patriarchpartners.com <http://www.patriarchpartners.com> .
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  For more information visit www.marvel.com <http://www.marvel.com/> . 

 

Last night (Well AM for Japan) sony announced their new PSP which will be available this coming holiday season.

The new PSP will have a 5 inch OLED touchscreen display with a resolution of 960 x 544,  front and back touch pads, SixAxis motion sensors build it, front and rear camera and dual analog sticks and will be powered by an ARM Cortex-A9 quad-core processor. Games will come on SD style card  that look similar to Nintendo DS cartridges but shaped a bit different and games will be in NGM or New Game Media format  There will be a 3G and Wi-Fi versions and will be coming this holiday season.

A lot of power coming into this handheld and will stand up well to the Nintendo 3DS which has stepped up the portable console game. We shall see and I’m sure hear more through the year to its eventual release during the holiday season.