Watch Sony Corporation executive deputy president and Sony Computer Entertainment group CEO Kaz Hirai address the rolling restoration of PlayStation Network in the video above. In addition to restoration details, Hirai outlines PSN’s improved security, identity theft concerns, “Welcome Back” compensation, and more.
Check out the clip and share your thoughts on it (please!). Just for kicks, give Kaz’s address a letter grade in the comments section. I’m giving him a B+.
Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that it has started a “phased restoration” of PlayStation Network. As most of you know, the service has been offline due to an “external intrustion” (i.e. hackers). Here’s a clip from the press release:
Sony Corporation and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced that Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) will today begin a phased restoration by region of PlayStation Network and Qriocity Services. The phased restoration will be on a country by country basis beginning in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Middle East.
- Sign-in for PlayStation®Network and Qriocity services, including the resetting of passwords
- Restoration of online game-play across PS3 and PSP
- Playback rental video content, if within rental period, of PlayStation Network Video Delivery Service on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
- Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity, for current subscribers, on PS3 and PC
- Access to 3rd party services such as Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and MLB.tv
- ‘Friends’ category on PS3, including Friends List, Chat Functionality, Trophy Comparison, etc
- PlayStation Home
At last, we can all go back to listening to Qriocity and roaming around PlayStation Home!!! *joke* Hopefully the restoration goes smoothly and PlayStation gamers can get back to enjoying their PS3s and PSPs to the fullest!
Please let me know if the “phased restoration” has brought any online functionality back to your PS3 or PSP.
Here’s a slick HTC Sensation sizzle video that goes over several of the phone’s features. It wisely highlights the unique build quality (aluminum unibody, concave screen) and HTC Sense 3.0 features instead of specs. And really, that’s why I’m excited for this phone. It doesn’t have the raw power of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the GPU will likely lag behind the Nvidia chip found in the T-Mobile G2x as well, but I’m certain that it will provide a smoother Google Android experience with power that’s beyond adequate.
Check out the video and let me know what you think (please)!
I did a lot of “research” for this week’s Netflix pick. I was hoping that my two favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes — Escape 2000 and Master Ninja — were available via streaming. Sadly, they are not. Still, I had a lot of fun going through the several episodes that are available via streaming. I love the sarcastic humor of the show. It’s awesome. If you’re having a hard time deciding then give Hercules Against the Moon Men a shot. It’s as stupid as it sounds.
Since Escape 2000 wasn’t available on Netflix, I posted a highlight clip above. It killed me when Journey’s “Separate Ways” was used in the closing credits. Also, Toblerone rules!!!
Now its your turn to suggest one movie we should all watch. Please make sure it’s available on Netflix streaming.
I’m supposed to spend this weekend playing one of the biggest releases of the year. It’s a huge title from one of the hottest publishers in gaming. Can you guess what the game is? Naturally I’ll be taking iPad 2 breaks to clear my head. I’m still loving Civilization Revolution and Final Fantasy III.
How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?
Updated: According to TorrentFreak Internet service providers Comcast, Rogers, and Optus have started blocking The Pirate Bay. The site is used by millions of people to acquire pirated movies, television shows, and music tracks. Honestly, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner and that more ISPs haven’t blocked the site. Sure, people will cite free speech and net neutrality, but telecommunications companies tend to act first and deal with the consequences later.
Any of you use Comcast? Is your access to The Pirate Blocked? If so, are you going to change providers? For those of you not on Comcast, would you change ISPs if you didn’t have access to The Pirate Bay?
Update: Apparently this might be a problem with The Pirate Bay and not ISPs. Phew!
In an awesome bit of nerd warfare news, Facebook hired a PR agency to get negative articles written about Google. Considering the somewhat shady origins of The Facebook, aggressive and morally questionable tactics shouldn’t be too surprising. Still, it was a brazen move that was reckless at best and idiotic at worst. Here’s more from The Daily Beast’s Dan Lyons:
For the past few days, a mystery has been unfolding in Silicon Valley. Somebody, it seems, hired Burson-Marsteller, a top public-relations firm, to pitch anti-Google stories to newspapers, urging them to investigate claims that Google was invading people’s privacy. Burson even offered to help an influential blogger write a Google-bashing op-ed, which it promised it could place in outlets like The Washington Post, Politico, and The Huffington Post.
But who was the mysterious unnamed client? While fingers pointed at Apple and Microsoft, The Daily Beast discovered that it’s a company nobody suspected — Facebook.
There are several amusing things about this situation. First, I can’t believe that Facebook even did this. Did it really think that it wouldn’t come back to haunt the company? Considering the opinionated and informal nature of modern tech journalism, of course someone was going to rat out the PR flack and of course someone would connect the dots back to Facebook.
Secondly, I love that this story was written by Dan Lyons. Some of you know him as Fake Steve Jobs. That’s awesome.
In yesterday’s Coffee Talk, I was surprised to learn that a bunch of you prefer movies with the subtitles turned on. For games, I always have the subtitles turned on. How about you?
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 hotness of mermaids, liking the song “African Child”, or continued iPad 2 production delays, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In yesterday’s Coffee Talk, I was surprised to learn that a bunch of you prefer movies with the subtitles turned on. As I explained, English is a second or third language for several of my friends, family members, and playmates. Subtitles help us all enjoy movies together. That said, I often leave subtitles on when I’m watching alone. For games, I always have the subtitles turned on. How about you?
I’m a writer. I need to read. In addition to videogame stuff and tech commentary, I’ve scripted videogames and comics. Reading is one of the best ways to improve writing. I’ve “borrowed” techniques from my favorite columnists, comic-book writers, videogame writers, and more. So for me, leaving subtitles on in videogames adds to my enjoyment and serves as a study tool.
And you ladies and gents? Do you prefer your games with or without subtitles?
At Google I/O 2011, the company announced an increase to the file size limit of Android apps. According to TechCrunch, the new limit is 4GB (50MB app package and two 2GB archives). This is a tremendous increase from the previous 50MB limit. Developers will be able to take advantage of the larger file sizes starting next month.
This should be tremendously helpful to game developers. The paltry 50MB limit was the second-biggest complaint I’ve heard from Android game developers. Take a game like Infinity Blade for iOS for example. That’s a 548MB file. Getting it to work on Android would have required some serious compromises that would make for an inferior experience.
While this new limit doesn’t address the difficulty of coding for different Android versions, different screen sizes, different resolutions, etc., it should give game creators much more freedom to dazzle on Android. It’s about frickin’ time Google!
T-Mobile was the first major American carrier to support Google Android. While the company has consistently released quality Android phones at a variety of price points, Sprint and Verizon have been getting more attention with its high-end products. The T-Mobile G2x by LG changes all of that. The G2x is currently the best Android phone available on T-Mobile and one of the best Android phones available on any carrier. Its combination of a Tegra 2 processor, HSPA+ data speeds, a high quality screen, excellent call quality, and above average build quality make it tough to beat. The Android world moves fast, but for now the G2x is an elite phone that stands at the top of this immensely competitive market. Let’s break it down!
Performance — This G2x will make you feel like He-Man. After using it for a few minutes, you’ll want to point it to the heavens and shout, “I have the power!!!” The phone’s 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor is blazing. The CPU performance is stellar and the GPU performance is unparalleled. Everything feels snappy on the G2x, whether it’s scrolling through screens, launching programs, playing 3D games, etc.
The G2x is simply the most powerful phone Android phone you can buy in America. Early benchmarks indicate that it will be surpassed by the Samsung Galaxy S II, but not by much. Besides, it’s not like there are many CPU- or GPU-intensive programs available for Android (due to stupid Google limitations). This phone is a powerhouse now and will be among the top performers for the rest of the year.
Build Quality — The G2x has an understated look that some people will love and some people will find boring. Looking at the phone head-on you’ll see a large slab of Corning Gorilla Glass with a nice metal border. The top of the phone has a bit of bezel that houses the earpiece, front-facing camera, and logo. The bottom of the phone has an unusually large bit of bezel and houses the phone’s four capacitive buttons. The back of the phone is brown rubberized plastic with a metal sliver down the middle and the rear camera.
The bottom bezel is funky. Some people hate it, saying that it ruins the phone’s looks by giving it a Jay Leno-like chin. Aesthetically, I don’t mind it at all. The iPhone 4 is a beautiful phone and it has large bezels. In terms of functionality, it just seems like a waste of space. I wish LG would have made the phone a bit smaller or the the screen a bit larger.
Overall the build quality is good, but not great. The phone is an ideal size and weight for most users. For my tastes there was too much plastic and not enough metal. It didn’t have the quality feel of the iPhone 4 or the HTC Thunderbolt.
Screen — The G2x features a four-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 800 x 480. I was really surprised by the screen’s quality, but in retrospect I shouldn’t have been. LG makes the outstanding IPS display for the iPhone 4. While this four-incher isn’t quite that good, it’s one of the better displays out there. Its colors are bright and accurate — better than what most standard LCD screens produce. The blacks aren’t as deep as the ones produced by the Super AMOLED screen on my Samsung Epic 4G, but the color accuracy and text are better.
In terms of usability, most people find that four inches is the sweet spot for size and navigation. Personally I prefer 4.3-inch screens, but I was quite satisfied with G2x’s display. That said, it will look dated soon. The upcoming HTC Sensation offers a qHD resolution of 960 x 540, while the Galaxy S II features impressive Super AMOLED Plus technology. Of course the relatively small 3.5-inch display on the iPhone 4 still offers the best text on any phone. The G2x’s display is very good for now, but will be surpassed by phones slated for a Summer 2011 release.
User Interface — The G2x runs vanilla-ish Android 2.2. I don’t like calling this a stock version of Android because it’s not truly a stock version. There are programs on the phone that can’t be uninstalled (without rooting) and the camera software isn’t stock. Having said that, this is one of the few phones on the market that offers a stock-ish Android experience. The benefits are speed and faster updates.
Using the phone is what you’d expect from vanilla Android — the OS is flexible and powerful, but slightly rough around the edges compared to Apple iOS and HP WebOS. There were some odd quirks with Android on the G2X that I haven’t experienced on other stock Android phones I’ve used. For example, if the phone is locked and the screen is off, hitting the power button lets you see what’s on display before the lock slider pops up. For business users and people that engage in espionage, that’s a potential security problem. Comments on WordPress sites that use WPTouch appear, disappear, and appear again when they’re opened. From what I’ve read, these issues are a result of immature Tegra 2 drivers. They’re not true problems, but they’re definitely quirks.
There are currently only two types of Android phones that I earnestly recommend — those with stock Android and those with HTC Sense. It’s great that consumers have an incredibly powerful vanilla Android choice with the G2x.
Call Quality — This area was another pleasant surprise. The G2x’s call quality rocked. The earpiece and speaker are very clear, though the latter could stand an additional volume level. The people I spoke to on test calls were very impressed with the call quality. The four people I spoke with said that I sounded much better on the G2x than on the iPhone 4. Two of them said that I sounded slightly clearer on the G2x than on the HTC Thunderbolt, while two of them said I sounded about the same.
The G2x features WiFi calling, which is — by far — my favorite T-Mobile feature. It allows you to use WiFi in lieu of mobile signal for calls. This is fantastic for people that work in big buildings, live in areas with poor coverage, or want to use their phone in their basement. It also allows you to use your phone in other countries for “free”; as long as you’re on WiFi, you can make calls to American numbers while in other countries and it will count against your monthly bucket. Call quality on WiFi calling isn’t quite as good as regular mobile calls due to latency issues. Still, it’s better to have a tiny bit of lag than no signal at all, right?
4G Speeds — T-Mobile refers to its HSPA+ speeds as 4G. While the speeds aren’t as fast as Sprint’s WiMax and much slower than Verizon’s LTE, they’re still very good. Hopping around various parts of Los Angeles, I averaged 5 to 7Mbps down and 1 to 1.5Mpbs up. Ping rates were anywhere from 67 to 1,000 milliseconds. Naturally speeds will vary depending on your coverage.
Camera — The eight-megapixel shooter on the G2x was very good, but not great. For still images, I was happy with the picture quality. The camera produced vibrant images with fairly accurate colors. Shots in natural light were great, while indoor shots using flash were very good. As with most camera phones, the flash can be overpowering and lead to washed out images. The issue I had with the camera was that it was a little slow to focus. The HTC Thunderbolt and iPhone 4 snapped pictures much faster than the G2x.
For video, the 1080p clips I shot produced mixed results. The details were clear and the image quality was great, but the videos can be choppy. The camera can only record 1080p at 24 frames per second; if you’re filming a scene with a lot of movement then you’ll likely end up with a choppy video. Turning the resolution down to 720p at 30 frames per second resulted in smoother video that looked fantastic.
Battery Life — Initially, I was unimpressed with the G2x’s battery life. I averaged nine hours of use on my first three days with the phone. While I knew that the Tegra 2 used a lot of juice, I was still expecting more. I did notice that the phone’s radio would often fluctuate between 2G (EDGE) and 4G (WCDMA). On a lark I switched the phone to WCDMA only and my battery life increased to 13.5 hours.
The solution that worked for me will not work for everyone. Those that live in areas with sporadic WCDMA coverage will have to sacrifice battery life until a software update is available. Furthermore, I shouldn’t have to change a setting to get reasonable battery life. That’s just a sign of immature software.
Conclusion — Despite some software quirks and battery life issues, I was greatly impressed with the T-Mobile G2x. The phone is a scorcher! If you put a premium on performance then I highly recommend this phone. Its impressive Tegra 2 processor and vanilla-ish Android offer an amazingly fast experience that can’t be beat (yet). Having said that, I’m tempted by the upcoming T-Mobile HTC Sensation. While the Sensation’s GPU performance won’t be as strong, it offers a smoother Android experience with HTC Sense 3.0 and sexy aluminum unibody construction. I’m willing to give up a bit of performance for smoothness and better build quality. If speed and gaming are your top priorities then the G2x is for you.
