Steve Cote: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

Sony PSP vs Sony NGP (PSP2)

Is the next generation handheld that much better?
Sony PSP vs Sony NGP (PSP2)

The announcement of the Sony Playstation NGP or PSP2, as some are referring to it, looks to have set a hyperactive cat amongst some, until now, rather lethargic pigeons. The world was still a little sleepy from CES 2011 and then, wham, we’ve got the next generation of portable gaming on our laps.

One of the big questions that comes out of all this is going to be - just how revolutionary is the Sony NGP? Fortunately, the company has been pretty specific about the details of the device so far and that gives us at Pocket-lint the chance to match it up against the current emcubent, the PSP, and see how it comes off. That's just the way we do things. So, this is the Sony PSP vs Sony NGP. Is the new kid really that much better and should all the former’s owners simply accept defeat and start counting down the days to pre-order?

Engine Room

Winner: NGP: 2GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPU, SGX543MP4+ GPU
Loser: PSP: 2 x 333MHz MIPS32 CPU, 2MB GPU

It’s not too important what you do and don’t understand from the alphanumeric soup above. What you need to know is that the NGP is a beast. It’s a blue whale to the plankton of the PSP. It’s got a quad-core processor, which means some serious multitasking powers, and is just the kind of thing Sony Playstation needs if it really means business with the AR and geo-location gaming side of the promise. It runs at a clock speed well in advance of the twin units of the old PSP and there’s plenty of graphics number crunching to back it up. What we’re saying is that if the NGP flops, it’s not because of the heavy hardware.

Dimensions

Winner: PSP: 128 x 16.5 x 69mm
Loser: NGP: 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm

Well, it’s got to lose out somewhere and with all that new, exciting and suped up technology in there, there was little chance of the NGP being a more compact system. It’s fatter, longer and taller than the most recent PSP, the PSP Go, by a long shot. You will notice the difference when carrying it around but then you probably never had the PSP in your pocket in the first place.

Display

Winner: NGP: 5-inch OLED, 960x544px
Loser: PSP: 4.3-inch TFT-LCD, 480x272px

The upgrade to both the screen size and technology is a serious plus for the NGP. The OLED display will make for better contrast and colours and also save on battery power at the same time. Probably the biggest thing you’ll notice though is the increase in screen resolution to almost four times what you get in the current models. All in all, combine this with the guts of the machine and it’s going to make a really impressive gaming and video consuming gadget.

Wireless Connectivity

Winner: NGP: 3G, b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
Loser: PSP: Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth, Infra Red

We can chit chat about the addition of the further reaching n-standard Wi-Fi and IrDA (infrared) capabilities - the latter of which we don’t know as yet whether or not it’ll be included in the NGP - but the headline news here is that the latest handheld from Sony Playstation is going to come with a mobile broadband connection and presumably a SIM to go with it. Naturally, there are no details on which of the UK mobile operators will carry it, how much it will cost or if you can get a contract but the fact that it’s there at all is a very interesting signal of intent. You’ll be able to download games wherever you are and play online as well.

Controls

Winner: NGP
Loser: PSP

Whereas the controls on the PSP were a pretty standard affair - D-pad, PlayStation buttons and an analogue nub - the NGP brings virtually full PS3 functionality to the party. There are two analogue decent looking joysticks along with the more traditional controls plus not just what appears to be a capacitive touchscreen display but also an equally large multitouch touchpad on the underside of the device as well. Add to that lot a six-axis motion control system made up of gyroscopes, accelerometers and an electonic compass - and you’ve got one very sensitive and interesting games handheld to control. The possibilities are fascinating indeed.

Imaging

Winner: NGP: Front and rear-facing
Loser: PSP: None

Imaging has been a pretty massive omission from Sony’s handheld gamer up until now. The NGP jumps right in with rear and front-facing cameras to make up for it, though. Without a shadow of a doubt, it’ll let you take both pictures and video which you can upload to the web as well makes video calls too. What’s more, they’ll both be key in Playstation's plans for augmented reality and geo-location gaming.

Audio

Tie: NGP: Stereo speakers and mic
Tie: PSP: Stereo speakers and mic

The audio set up on the PSP was always pretty good in the first place and, so long as the NGP ends up offering the same kind of file support, there’s no reason to want for anything else at all save perhaps the lossless FLAC codec if we really want to be picky.

Games

Tie: NGP: Digital and removable
Tie: PSP: Digital and removable

As the consoles progress, we can expect the games to come along with them as well. While we have an idea of the NGP line-up, not only is it too early to say if there are going to be any big hitters but one would expect the same kinds of producers and developers to be at work. Doubtless, there’ll be more interesting and profound interactions with other Sony devices but all of that is as yet to be seen.

So, instead we focus on the method of delivery. There’ll be no UMD disks, which disappeared with the last incarnation of the PSP, but we do know that the NGP will feature the ability to download games and to play them off memory cards as well. For the moment, they look something like SD cards but we’ve a sneaking suspicion we’re looking at proprietary modules instead.

Features

It’s really far too early to know quite the level of features that Sony Playstation plans to offer with the NGP. What the company has said is that the device will include GPS for as many location based services you can think of - the important ones being gaming, entertainment and maps. As well as that, there’s the much publicised new UI known as the LiveArea which becomes the gateway to the PlayStation Network and Store. It’s also the place where you’ll get your badges and achievements, so we might well see some integration of the Room for PSP feature which is where you can invite other users to enjoy real time communication.

There’ll certainly be web browsing, as found also on the PSP; more than likely we’ll see the same Skype VoIP tie in and, fingers crossed, the digital comic reader application as well. The big interest has got to be over the multimedia link up powers of the NGP. The PSP had the hugely popular Remote Play which allowed users to share content wirelessly with their PS3s. Now, that wasn’t allowed for PS3 games or copy protected files on the console’s HDD but it’ll be interesting to see what limits Sony imposes this time around.

Conclusion

As we’d expect, the NGP is considerably better than the PSP. That’s probably why they named it the Next Generation Portable for the time being rather than just a new iteration of the PSP. It outclasses the current handheld in just about every department. Sure it’s a bigger lump to carry around but it’s set to blow mobile gaming out of the water leaving phones and tablets a lot to do to catch up. It might not have as big a screen as the latter group but the hard controls and gaming pedigree look to put it in very good stead. The only question that remains is - why didn't they make it 3D?

Links 31/1/2011: A Look at Mandriva 2010.2, Sabayon Linux 5.5 is Out

Links for the day

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5 Tips for Buying a Server

Is it time for your business to have its own file server? Due to the cost of even the most basic server, which can be well into the thousands, it's wise before a purchase to consider whether you can do without one. It's possible, for instance, to configure an existing computer to double as a server—and small businesses often choose to utilize cloud computing services, which are more malleable in terms of customization and don't require an equipment purchase. Peer-to-peer services such as Dropbox and Google Docs can also allow employees to share files over a secure network for free.

However, owning an in-house server certainly has benefits. There's the security it can provide for your network, along with the ability to control all of your own data at any given time. Should you choose to host your own server, your office should also be prepared to provide a physically secure location for them, protecting them from potential harm due to overheating or physical theft. Additionally, you will need to appoint employees to manage server permissions. That is, a person or persons assigned to regulate the parties who can also access information on the server. While this usually comes in the form of an IT department at larger organizations, the job can also be handled at a smaller organization by someone with advanced technical knowledge.

Remember that your servers are the eyes and ears of your networking system, and sensitive information is at stake if breached. Study your options well, including alternative options such as cloud storage, and choose the method that best suits the needs and budget of your business. If it's time to buy, consider the following tips from John Engates, Chief Technology Officer of file-hosting company Rackspace, which is based in San Antonio, Texas.

1. Find a snug fit.
There are different types of servers for an assortment of needs, so evaluate the needs of your business accordingly. What do you want your server to do? If you only need to share basic files, you can configure a wireless hard drive to share files amongst employees in a small office. Most small businesses will only need server in the form of a network attached storage unit that connects to the Ethernet. Three examples are NetgearReadyNAS which ranges in price from a few hundred dollars into the thousands, the Drobo unit, which also ranges in price depending on the scale of the unit, and the Lenovo ThinkServer TS200v which is available from $349.

2. Consider renting.
"Generally speaking, most people are moving in the direction of moving away from buying physical servers and moving to the cloud," Engates says. "But if you have a very specific security requirement, maybe there's some mandate from a government organization and that data can't leave your office, that might be a reason to own a server." Many companies rent data storage space to clients for a monthly fee and offer maintenance services. Rackspace features dedicated and cloud hosting services and charges on a sliding scale that is contingent upon your exact needs as per a network evaluation.

Dig Deeper: The Promise of Cloud Computing

3. Anticipate future growth.
In general, understanding the process of purchasing a file server with enough ram and hard drive space is akin to the process of buying a regular PC. However, you need to take into account the amount of people that will be accessing your network. "If it's one or a handful, you can get away with a very small server. If it's a dozen or a hundred or whatever the number might be, you're going to have to think about a server with a little bit more processing power and more memory and maybe even more network capacity to be able to handle the traffic," says Engates. In addition, when accounting for the number of network users, also take hard drive space into consideration. "Hard drive space is usually pretty straightforward to understand for most people, but just sort of getting an idea of how much space you use today, how fast that data is growing in size, those are important considerations. You don't want to size it for today's needs—you want to size it for six months, a year, maybe even two years out," Engates says.

Dig Deeper: The Storage Solution

4. Make sure that your server can take the heat.
We're all aware of the loud sounds that a regular desktop can make when the internal fan is activated to prevent overheating. This often occurs with smaller servers, especially when there isn't a dedicated air-conditioned room inside the business to prevent this effect. Do some online research and speak with your customer service representative to ask specific questions about the likelihood (and the frequency) of overheating occurring. Engates explains that a server with an advanced feature set will be able to sense when it's overheating and shut itself down to prevent damage. A server from a no-name manufacturer will sometimes lack this heat-sensing protection mechanism.

Dig Deeper: Plug in and Forget: Network Appliances

5. Pick a provider that specializes in small business servers.
Dell and Hewlitt-Packard offer great customer service support for local file servers. For best results, unless your staff is comprised of networking professionals, you should purchase your hardware from a renowned company that specializes in small business support and can issue a substantial service contract. This will ensure that you have access to round-the-clock customer support should something go wrong. However, this may be unnecessary if you already have a team of IT professionals onboard. "There are servers that are not branded. They are sort of generic no-name servers and can be a little less expensive at times. Obviously, you don't get the same service contract as you would from a name brand, but if you have a person helping you out with that, you may not need that service contract," says Engates.

Dig Deeper: How to Keep Your Network Server Secure

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Move Over, Groupon

LivingSocial gaining ground on Groupon. LivingSocial seems to be giving the U.S.'s dominant group-buying discount site a run for its money. Mashable reports that LivingSocial's traffic skyrocketed by 80 percent last week, but that's likely largely due to its sweet deal by the company's new investor, Amazon, which offered 50 percent off a $20 purchase. Still, it was the biggest group-buying deal in history with more than 1 million vouchers sold. Can LivingSocial stay within striking distance of Groupon, even as Google tests out a new group-buying prototype? Mashable is betting "that when this week's data comes in, LivingSocial's traffic will fall back to Earth."

Is Facebook worth $50 billion? Hardly, say investors. Goldman Sachs' recent $450 million investment in Facebook may have technically valued the social media site at $50 billion, but respondents to a Bloomberg poll aren't buying it. A full 69 percent of 1,000 respondents made up of investors, traders and analysts said Facebook is overvalued at its current valuation. Just 10 percent said the valuation was appropriate, while 4 percent said Facebook is worth more. Of greater concern, perhaps, is that the poll found the Facebook deal has made investors uneasy about Internet companies in general. More than half the respondents said the company’s valuation signals the “beginning of a dangerous new bubble” in the market.

Export pitch coming to a city near you. Members of President Obama's cabinet want to double exports by 2015. Their plan of action? Hitting the cross-country road to persuade small businesses to take up international trade. Officials charged with spreading the message include Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. Their first stop is Minneapolis, followed by cities in California, Louisiana and Delaware. The goal is to reach thousands of small businesses interested in exporting—or, as Kirk puts it, "the low-hanging fruit." The Wall Street Journal has the story.

Cross-breeding your business. Today's New York Times explains the benefits of co-branding with another business. Blogger and advertising expert MP Mueller cites the partnership between Vineyard Vines, which sells preppy ties, and St. Francis Winery as the perfect example. In November, they came out with "A Whale of a Chardonnay," a limited edition wine sold in a Vineyard Vines tote, featuring the Vineyard Vines logo. St. Francis Winery CEO Christopher Silva says the partnership helped both companies grab a bigger market share, since the two brands target the same audience. “Good branding involves familiarity, getting your name out there,” he said. “The better the association, the better reflection on your brand...People who shop at Vineyard Vines tend to be more traveled and educated and for our purposes, are interested in better wines."

New Taco Bell ad: Our beef is real! File this under bizarre advertising. Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum Brands, Inc., placed full-page ads in national newspapers today asserting that the beef it uses for tacos and burritos is, indeed, beef. The ad comes on the heels (hooves?) of a class-action lawsuit, filed last week, which claims Taco Bell "actually uses a meat mixture in its burritos and tacos that contains binders and extenders and doesn't meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labeled beef," according to The Wall Street Journal. The law firm that filed the suit claims the filling contains only 35 percent actual heifer. Taco Bell has vociferously denied such claims, and launched the new ad campaign to "set the record straight," according to Greg Creed, president of Taco Bell. "Thank you for suing us," the ad reads. "Here's the truth about our seasoned beef."

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Power-One Opens First U.S. Factory To Make Inverters, Turn Renewables To Grid Ready Electricity

Power-One, Inc. (NASDAQ:PWER) ? a large manufacturer of power inverters for the renewable energy industry and provider of software to manage power harvesting and distribution ? opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Phoenix today, where they plan to employ 350 people full-time. According to a company press statement, the facility will primarily produce photovoltaic and wind inverters that convert renewable energy into a usable form of electricity for distribution on the utility grid. The chief executive of Power-One, Richard J. Thompson, explained ahead of the facility's opening ceremony on Monday...

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Meet The People You Follow On Twitter With YC-Funded Conference Directory Lanyrd

In the same events planning space as Plancast and Upcoming, Y Combinator-funded Lanyrd launches today after this weekend's game changing news of Yuri Milner and SV Angel's 150K investment in every Y Combinator startup. An IMDB for conferences, Lanyrd has the ambitious goal of becoming the one stop shop for all conference data by pulling in information from the Twitter accounts that you follow. At first glance Lanyrd is pretty comprehensive. Whether past or future event, a Lanyrd conference page shows you a list of speakers, attendees, and trackers and their respective Twitter accounts as well as a list of sessions, a link to the actual conference page itself, the ability to save the event to iCal and Outlook, a link to coverage, separation by topic, related books, as well as permalink page which enables you to share the Lanyrd conference page with your friends (Whew!).

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VIDEO: When Zuckerbergs collide

Saturday Night Live sketch featuring the real Zuck
VIDEO: When Zuckerbergs collide

What happens when the three most famous Mark Zuckerbergs come together?

Well, to find out., take a look at this sketch from Saturday Night Live, which aired in the States this weekend.

The video features the man nominated for an Oscar for playing Zuck in The Social Network - Jesse Eisenberg - the man who usually mocks the Facebook CEO (bitch) on SNL - Andy Samberg - and the main man himself, the socially-inept, social genius Mark Zuckerberg.

The result is a funny and awkward encounter that is doing the rounds on the web - and possibly shows a new side of the real MZ. One that doesn't freeze under the bright lights and break out into a massive sweat.

Tags: Facebook Saturday Night Live SNL Mark Zuckerberg the social network Home Cinema Internet Online Video

VIDEO: When Zuckerbergs collide originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:24:00 +0000

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Do Nothing

Two whole minutes of absolutely nothing. Can you do it?
WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Do Nothing . WebsiteoftheDay, Websites, Software, Online, 0

When's the last time you just stopped? Just sat down and did absolutely nothing?

Zero, zilch, nada?

It's been a while, right? In fact, you might have even forgotten how to do nothing. It's not as easy as it sounds.

As if to prove the point www.donothingfor2minutes.com comes along.

It's startling in its simplicity: you arrive at the site and then just have to sit there and enjoy the sunset and the sound of the soothing waves for 120 seconds. And do nothing. If you touch the keyboard or mouse, you fail. See? I said it was simple.

The site is aiming to make a serious point - that we've all become addicted to the internet and the pace of modern living. Doing nothing is now an alien concept. The man behind it is Alex Tew of the Million Dollar Home page fame and it's already proving popular with the masses.

How long will you last?

Tags: Websites Software Online WebsiteOfTheDay

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Do Nothing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:00:00 +0000

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Twitter blocked in Egypt after riots

Micro blogging service confirms switch off

Twitter has been blocked in Egypt, the micro-blogging giant has confirmed.

It seems as if the Egyptian authorities want a blanket ban on all forms of protest and opinion, with the BBC also confirming that all public gatherings, protests and marches are now prohibited, 1 day after thousands of people joined a "day of revolt" against the government of president Hosni Mubarak.

Twitter stated, via its Twitter Comms stream:

"We can confirm that Twitter was blocked in Egypt around 8am PT today. It is impacting both Twitter.com & applications.

"We believe that the open exchange of info & views benefits societies & helps govts better connect w/ their people."

Herdict Web is also keeping a record of all the banned tweets from Egypt.

The protest on Tuesday was said to be web-created, with the organisers using Facebook to spread the word. It was focused on the president, with thousands calling for his resignation.

Read

Tags: Twitter Egypt Censorship Internet Online

Twitter blocked in Egypt after riots originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:20:00 +0000

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Plentyoffish CEO: We Were Hacked, Almost Extorted ? So I Emailed The Hacker?s Mom

The title of strangest WTF story of my morning is Plentyoffish CEO Markus Frind recounting how his online dating site got hacked, he and his wife were harassed and someone clumsily attempted to extort his company in the aftermath of the events. If that is in fact what happened ... First up, Frind points out that the site has indeed been hacked last week in a "well planned and sophisticated attack". Apparently, email addresses, usernames and passwords were downloaded, although Frind does not say how many. Plentyoffish has already reset the passwords for all users and claims to have plugged the security hole that allowed the hackers to enter.

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Sony game phone, PSP2 on tap: Android + AT&T

Sony fans are on the edge of their seats waiting for tonight's announcement about the next generation of the PSP handheld device that the company is expected to announce at an event in Tokyo.

Some details have already surfaced. A report in Japan's Nikkei newspaper said the device will have a touchscreen and connect to NTT DoCoMo's 3G network in Japan, finally giving the PlayStation Portable truly mobile, connected gaming, according to Kotaku.

What I'm curious to see is whether Sony releases a single device tonight -- the PSP2 -- or several devices, a PSP 2 plus the long-awaited Sony PlayStation phone.

I've heard from someone who has already received one of the Sony Ericsson PlayStation phones. It's based on Google's Android operating system with game controls.

One interesting tidbit shared during our chat: The PlayStation phone will connect to AT&T's wireless network in the U.S.

Whether this gives Sony enough to compete with Nintendo's hot 3DS handheld remains to be seen. But it will definitely make Android a more interesting gaming platform.

A PlayStation spokesman declined to confirm any of the details, saying people have to wait for the press conference. It's taking place at 3 p.m. in Tokyo, so word will emerge this evening.

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The Future of Search: Who Will Win The Spam Wars?

Sometimes, all it takes is a little spark to set off a major forest fire. That is what seems to have happened with my New Year?s Day post on Why We Desperately Need a New (and Better)�Google. Over the last two months, there has been an avalanche of articles echoing my post, including New York Magazine, Business Insider, GigaOm, TechCrunch, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal. I had a feeling that this would get Google?s attention. And I had the same concern as when I challenged the Russian government, once, in a Bloomberg BusinessWeek article about Skolkovo (a new tech park). I feared that Google would either blacklist me or do its equivalent of putting me in a Gulag?deliver even more spam when I search websites.

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Sunday, January 30, 2011

White BlackBerry Torch hands on

Pocket-lint gets some smudges on the Vodafone exclusive
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RIM has really stuck the boot into Apple as of late. Not content with doing what the Cupertino collective seemingly couldn't - releasing a white version of one of its latest handsets, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 - the cheeky Canadians have gone and pulled another white handset out of the hat - this time the BlackBerry Torch 9800.

And Pocket-lint was treated to a sneaky first look at the handset in all of its whiteness-glory.

Specs wise it is exactly the same as it's black brethren, so you're getting the BlackBerry 6 OS, a 5-megapixel camera with flash, autofocus, and environment settings, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, a 3.2-inch, 480x360, touchscreen and 512MB of RAM.

It's a phone that Pocket-lint said of in its comprehensive review as one "we can't help liking... it is unashamedly BlackBerry".

And now it's unashamedly BlackBerry, but in white - if that's at all possible.

As for the white, it's a really nice finish and there's a nice ribbed effect going on around the back (for your and her pleasure). Apart from that though, it's essentially the same phone, but white.