Netflix for PlayStation 3 Will Go Discless on October 18

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that Netflix for Playstation 3 will no longer require a disc starting October 18, 2010. A few other features have been added as well. Here are the bullet points from the press release:

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that Netflix for Playstation 3 will no longer require a disc starting October 18, 2010. A few other features have been added as well. Here are the bullet points from the press release:

  • Movies and TV shows from Netflix will be accessible from PS3’s XMB menu under a new Netflix icon under the Video category. To access Netflix, PS3 owners will need to sign-in with their PlayStation®Network account.
  • Support for Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel surround sound will enable users to experience premium-quality audio.
  • A new user interface, including the recently added search functionality, will deliver a much richer and faster browsing experience, making it easier to find the specific titles you’re looking for or to discover new content.
  • Some movies and TV shows will be viewable in 1080i resolution, offering an enhanced visual experience as more consumers adopt HDTVs.
  • The amount of time to start playback will be improved.
  • An increasing number of movies and TV shows will be viewable with subtitles or alternate audio tracks.

This is certainly more convenient than using a silly disc, but I mostly posted this story because the word discless sounds funny.

Opera Mobile Browser Coming to Android “Within a Month”

Opera Software has announced that it will be bringing its Opera Mobile web browser to the Google Android platform within a month. The browser, not to be confused with the more limited Opera Mini, will support hardware acceleration for a smoother experience.

I’ve mainly used the stock browser on the Android phones I’ve had. I tried Dolphin HD because a few of my friends wouldn’t shut up about how awesome it was. I thought it was good, but not any better than the stock browser (for my purposes, anyway). For some reason, I’m intrigued by Opera Mobile for Android. Anyone else interested?

Source

Dance Central Track List Revealed

Harmonix and MTV Games have revealed the complete song list for the upcoming Xbox 360 Kinect game Dance Central. This November you’ll be able to shake your booty to the following:

Harmonix and MTV Games have revealed the complete song list for the upcoming Xbox 360 Kinect game Dance Central. This November you’ll be able to shake your booty to the following:

  • Audio Push – “Teach Me How To Jerk”
  • Basement Jaxx – “Rendez-vu”
  • Beastie Boys – “Body Movin’ (Fatboy Slim Remix)”
  • Beenie Man – “King Of The Dancehall”
  • Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison”
  • Benny Benassi – “Satisfaction”
  • Cascada – “Evacuate the Dancefloor”
  • Christina Milian – “Dip It Low”
  • The Commodores – “Brick House”
  • Craig Mack – “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)”
  • Dirty Vegas – “Days Go By”
  • Eric B. & Rakim – “Don’t Sweat the Technique”
  • Fannypack – “Hey Mami”
  • Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne – “Down”
  • Kool & The Gang – “Jungle Boogie”
  • Kylie Minogue – “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”
  • Lady Gaga – “Just Dance”
  • Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
  • Lipps Inc – “Funky Town”
  • M.I.A. – “Galang ‘05”
  • Nelly Furtado – “Maneater”
  • Nina Sky – “Move Ya Body”
  • No Doubt – “Hella Good”
  • Pitbull – “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”
  • Quad City DJ’s – “C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)”
  • Rihanna – “Pon de Replay”
  • Salt-N-Pepa – “Push It”
  • Snoop Dogg/Pharrell – “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
  • Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em – “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”
  • Technotronic – “Pump Up the Jam”
  • Wreckx-n-Effect – “Rump Shaker”
  • Young MC – “Bust A Move”

As I mentioned last June, Dance Central was one of the coolest things I saw at E3 2010. It’s one of two Kinect games that actually looks interesting.

Are any of you planning to pick up Dance Central? What songs are you looking forward to playing? “Brick House” is aweome!

Coffee Talk #228: Game Delays That Break Your Heart

Sony has announced that Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed…again. It’s comical at this point, but I’m trying not to laugh because I have the utmost respect for Polyphony Digital. The delay got me thinking about other delays. Have you ever had your heart broken by a game delay? Was there a game that you wanted so badly that its delay crushed your soul?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Chilean miner saga, Gilbert Arenas faking an injury so a teammate could play, or your favorite park, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sony has announced that Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed…again. It’s comical at this point, but I’m trying not to laugh because I have the utmost respect for Polyphony Digital. The delay got me thinking about other delays. Have you ever had your heart broken by a game delay? Was there a game that you wanted so badly that its delay crushed your soul?

Today’s Coffee Talk is another gamer therapy session. Share your sad stories and let’s try to help each other get past some painful game-delay memories.

Faster Trailer (Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

Here’s the trailer for Faster, starring former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It shows off his natural chops as an action star, but is darker than his other movies. There’s blood, shooting, stabbing, and more. While I think The Rock is a fantastic comedian, most people prefer him as an action star. Faster looks like a great movie for fans of The Rock.

Let me know what you think of the trailer when you have a moment.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 DLC Announced: Nexus, NXT, and More!

THQ has announced details for the first two batches of DLC for the upcoming SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 (aka the game with the best writing in the world). I’m going to get all Michael Cole on you now. May I have your attention please? I have a press release from the general manager. It says, and I quote:

The first downloadable content package for Fan Axxess, currently scheduled for release this holiday season, will include WWE Legends British Bulldog and Lex Luger; WWE Superstars Wade Barrett, David Otunga and Justin Gabriel; WWE Diva Layla; alternate ring gear for WWE Superstars Shawn Michaels and Shad; and a playable WWE NXT arena. The downloadable content package will be included as part of the Fan Axxess program, as well as sold separately for the anticipated cost of 560 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or $6.99 on PlayStation Network.

The second downloadable content package for Fan Axxess, currently scheduled for release in early 2011, will include alternate ring gear for WWE Superstars John Cena, Undertaker and CM Punk, as well as a playable WCW arena. The downloadable content package will be included as part of the Fan Axxess program, as well as sold separately for the anticipated cost of 240 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or $2.99 on PlayStation Network.

I’m definitely interested in the first DLC batch. Most of you know that I’m a big Shawn Michaels mark. I also love Justin Gabriel’s 450 splash (which is almost as good as Austin Aries‘). The second one…I think I’ll pass.

Any of you interested in either DLC pack? Do you find it weird that DLC pricing and details are announced before the game is even out? Does it give you the “well why isn’t it in the game?” feeling?

Today’s Poll: Sony 3D TV or Sony Google TV?

Sony has been aggressively pushing its 3D television sets in 2010 and all signs point to an even bigger push in 2011. This week, the company announced a handful of televisions that feature Google TV. Google’s service is something that’s useful now, while 3D might be the future of television. Which would you rather have? Kindly take the poll and expand on your choice in the comments section.

[poll id=”79″]

Apple Announces October 20th 2010 “Back to the Mac” Presser

Apple has sent out invites to an October 20, 2010 press conference called “Back to the Mac”. The teaser image shows a lion behind the Apple logo, which indicates that the focus of the presser will be on the next version of Mac OS X. Tech writers expect that the new MacBook Air will be revealed as well. Some have speculated that the next version of Mac OS X will be the most radical yet, implementing all kinds of touch interface features.

Let’s do some speculating of our own! What do you think will be announced at the Apple presser? With the success of iOS and the recent introduction of the Magic Trackpad, do you think touch will become a large part of Mac OS X? Do you think the new MacBook Air — rumored to have an 11.6-inch screen — will be a convertible notebook that also works as a tablet?

T-Mobile G2 Review: Photos and Videos

In part one and part two of my T-Mobile G2 (HTC) review, I went over most of the phone’s features. This installment focuses on the photo and video capabilities of this excellent Google Android phone. As far as pictures go, it’s very good. The five-megapixel camera produces crisp shots with great color reproduction if there’s ample light. It can do well indoors with decent light. Low-light settings can be problematic, as the camera’s flash often washes things out. This makes it a poor choice for taking photos while drunk (the Evo 4G is a much better choice for drunk photos).

I took a variety of test shots under various lighting conditions and blood-alcohol levels. Because I love you guys, I made a cute Chinese girl take me out to dinner and model for some photos. Check ’em out!

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The camera also takes some nice HD videos. Naturally, the files use an aggressive compression scheme, so the quality isn’t as good as what you’d get on a point-and-shoot camera, but I was pleased with the results. Again, ample light is the key. Here are a bunch of samples so that you can see for yourself.

I was mostly pleased with the G2’s photo and video performance. I wish it had a dual-LED flash for better indoor performance (and better drunk shots) and the stock software could use more features (no touch-to-focus?!?),  but other than that I was satisfied with the image quality and color reproduction. If you have any questions about the G2’s camera, please let me know and I’ll answer ’em in the comments section.

Pokemon Trainers Can Catch a Rare Mew in October

From October 15th to 30th, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver players will be able to obtain a special Mew. This rare psychic Pokemon is incredibly powerful and its stats are evenly distributed. With proper EV training it can serve pretty much any role you can think of. Furthermore, its move pool is unrestricted, making it even more versatile and tougher to predict. Here are some details from the official press release:

The Mew character you will receive is a Level 5 and comes with one basic Normal-type attack, Pound, giving Pokémon Trainers the ability to raise and train Mew as they see fit. Making this distribution especially exclusive, Mew comes inside a Cherish Ball and has a Premier Ribbon, both indicating that you got it via a special event.

During the limited distribution period, players will need to receive Mew using the Mystery Gift option via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service and their existing wireless broadband Internet access, and will need to acquire the Pokédex in the game. Players must also have fewer than three Wonder Cards in their game.

I have at least a dozen Mews on my Pokemon Pearl cartridge and I don’t like using legendary Pokemon for battles…but I “gotta catch ’em all” so I’ll definitely be downloading a new Mew. I’m sure that there are millions of trainers anxiously awaiting the download period. Are you one of them?