Sony releases PS3 firmware v3.55, adds nothing
Sony has released the latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3, adding nothing.
Says Eric Lempel, Sony VP of Network Operations: “This is a minor update that adds a security patch.”
What Sony will not come out and state is the fact that the update will do little but block potential jailbreakers of the console.
In September, PSJailbreak released the first jailbreak, showing how PS3’s security model was open to be exploited, and Sony was quick to shut down the project. However, open-source alternatives cropped up, giving users a chance to jailbreak their console for free.
Sony has since continued to update the system’s firmware, blocking jailbreakers. Last month, however, a “downgrading” option appeared, giving anyone a method to downgrade their PS3 to firmware 3.41, the last version to fully work with the jailbreak devices.
Earlier this week, video emerged of unsigned code being run on a PS3 with v3.50 firmware, but that has yet to be fully confirmed. It won’t make a difference now as the latest firmware is required to log into PSN.
Android Google Maps 5 will add 3D, offline caching
Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering at Google and head of the Android project has revealed an updated version of Google Maps this week, version 5.
GM5 will be released “in a matter of days,” and most Android users should be able to download it, free, at that point.
Coming with the Maps update will be the end of tiling, which Unwired explains “essentially involves stitching several flat images or maps together and can wreak havoc on map loading times.”
GM5 will use vectors, which brings the ability to see maps in 3D. For anyone who has used Google Earth on their Android device knows, Maps will now let you tilt and rotate any map with your fingers.
Equally as notably is the addition of offline caching, making those long trips to areas with data deadzones less scary. Besides keeping the map/route on file, the offline cache will also be able to reroute if you miss that exit and don’t have continuous data.
The update will be available for all Android devices with 2.2, and possibly for all with 2.1, as well.
Spotify not hitting the U.S. in 2010
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has said today that the service will likely not hit the U.S. this year, despite promises since 2009.
While still hopeful, Elk says the company now cannot “commit to a specific date.”
When it does launch, however, it will cost $10 per month, much cheaper than the 10 euros it costs currently in EU nations.
During the interview, Elk also denied having knowledge of Apple knowingly painting Spotify in an ugly light to the Big 4 record labels in an effort to keep their monopoly on the digital music business.
“I don’t actually try to focus on what Apple is doing, or what others are doing,” he added. “I am, first and foremost, a user.”
Whether or not Apple has had any say in the decision, the American labels have made it clear they are not close to signing any Spotify deal for the U.S., even though similar deals are already in place in Europe.
Samsung Galaxy Tab sales hit 1 million, earlier than expected
Samsung has said today that they have sold 1 million Galaxy Tab tablets already, surpassing their expectations.
When the device launched two months ago, Samsung said it expected to just hit 1 million sales by the end of the year.
The device sells on all four major carriers in the U.S., and on a number of carriers worldwide.
Both Verizon and AT&T said recently they were “encouraged” by Tab sales, but neither revealed specific numbers.
For comparison’s sake, the market leader Apple iPad hit 1 million sales in just 30 days, and sales have recently topped 8 million.
Samsung’s tablet runs on Android 2.2, has a 1GHz processor, a 7-inch multi-touch screen and dual cameras.
Apple expands patent lawsuit against Motorola
It appears that Apple has amended its ongoing lawsuit against Motorola this week, adding 12 more alleged patent violations, bringing the total to 24.
In their own suit, Motorola says Apple has infringed on 18 of their patents.
Motorola sued Apple in October, just days before Apple sued HTC for patent violations. HTC and Motorola sell the most popular Android smartphones.
At the time, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said: “We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it.”
The patents relate to 3G, GPRS, 802.11 wireless and antenna design, and OS user interfaces.
Since 2009, Apple has been sued 27 times over alleged patent violations.
Video Daily: The PlayStation Phone ‘in action’
Following Wednesday’s blurry “spy” video of the device, we now have a nice, clear “hands on” with the upcoming Sony Ericsson PSP Phone (Z1), although the smartphone still does not have any gaming content available for it.
The oft-rumored device could see an official announcement as soon as December 9th.
It will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1GHz Qualcomm chip, have a 4.1-inch multi-touchscreen, a 5MP camera, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera and 1GB of internal storage.
The smartphone will also have a dedicated gaming app store.
Gaming will be made possible via a slide-out control similar to the PSP.
Xbox modder gets case dismissed by prosecution
Yesterday we reported that the jury trial for the case of Matthew Crippen had been delayed, after the presiding judge took 30 minutes to lecture the prosecution.
Today, the prosecution has dismissed the case, after just hours, “based on fairness and justice.”
Prosecutor Allen Chiu says: “The government has decided to dismiss the indictment.”
Crippen was on trial for allegedly modding Xbox 360 consoles to be able to play pirated games and homebrew.
U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez started the trial off yesterday with a 30-minute rant complaining about the prosecution and the government’s case, with his main concerns being the prosecution’s “star” witnesses.
The two witnesses in the case had both potentially broken the law, making them less credible. The first,Entertainment Software Association investigator Tony Rosario, had video of Crippen modding consoles in his home in L.A. Those videos, however, were taped secretly, in violation of California’s strict privacy laws.
Microsoft security employee Ken McGrail was the second witness, the man who analyzed the consoles that were seized from Crippen’s home. McGrail, however, had admitted under oath to modifying the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 back when he was in college.
Crippen was charged with two counts of breaking the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA and faced up to 10 years in prison.
The 28-year-old says he will finally be able to go back to school, needing just one more year to get his degree from Cal State Fullerton.
Amazon to invest $175 million in LivingSocial
Yesterday we reported that Amazon was preparing to purchase an investment stake in daily deal giant LivingSocial, following Google’s $5.3 billion bid for market leader Groupon.
Today, Amazon has announced an investment of $175 million in the site, a deal that will put the two companies in a “deep operating partnership.”
LivingSocial will use the massive cash infusion to expand to more countries.
The site is currently available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Australia. For those nations, the deals are available in 120 different cities.
LivingSocial says it is expanding at a rate of just under one new city per day. The site has 10 million users.
Rival Groupon is available in 300 cities and has 35 million worldwide users.
Netflix to pay $100,000 per episode to play in-season TV shows?
The New York Post has reported today that Netflix is prepared to pay up to $100,000 per episode for the ability to stream in-season TV shows, such as current episodes of hits like “Glee” and “The Office.”
If accurate, the move will position Netflix next to Hulu as the premier destination to view TV episodes from current running seasons.
In October, Netflix announced it had signed a deal with NBCU to bring full back catalogs of hit shows like “30 Rock,” “The Office,” and others to the streaming service, as well as a deal that gives Netflix the right to stream “Saturday Night Live” the day after it airs on TV.
Netflix recently began offering a streaming-only service for $8 per month in the U.S., the first time the company has offered a deal that does not include physical media rentals.
The company has spent close to $1 billion on streaming rights over the past years, placing a big bet on the future of streaming.
Amazon to invest $175 million in LivingSocial
Yesterday we reported that Amazon was preparing to purchase an investment stake in daily deal giant LivingSocial, following Google’s $5.3 billion bid for market leader Groupon.
Today, Amazon has announced an investment of $175 million in the site, a deal that will put the two companies in a “deep operating partnership.”
LivingSocial will use the massive cash infusion to expand to more countries.
The site is currently available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Australia. For those nations, the deals are available in 120 different cities.
LivingSocial says it is expanding at a rate of just under one new city per day. The site has 10 million users.
Rival Groupon is available in 300 cities and has 35 million worldwide users.
