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Gadgets Gaming Sony

Run Jailbroken PlayStation 3 With Custom Firmware And HomeBrew – GeoHot Video

George Hotz, the popular PS3 and iOS hacker who is responsible for a number of hacks on the two platforms in the past is out with a video that demoes a Sony PlayStation 3 that has been jailbroken to run a custom version of firmware 3.55. But before you get excited, we must point out that this is merely a demo video at this stage and an actual jailbreak software is yet to be released. GeoHot has refused to offer an estimated time for release at this stage.

You can watch the video demo here.

For those looking for a background to this story, German hackers fail0verflow had recently released an exploit that they claimed could let users decipher the digital signature that Sony encrypts on its Playstation devices. This signature is used by the device to authenticate applications before they are run. GeoHot had earlier this week used this exploit to make the security keys of Sony PS 3 public. Now that a demo video is out, you must expect a jailbreak application shortly.

Categories
Gaming Sony

Sony PlayStation App For iPhone & Android Announced

Sony has announced that an official PlayStation app will soon make its way to the iOS and Android platforms. Writing about this on the PlayStation blog, Emmanuel Orssaud, Portal Manager at Sony, has said that the first iteration of the application will only be available in UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands. A second version that will support the rest of Europe is also noted to be on its way.

The PlayStation app will let users check on their friends’ activities, read and discover the latest games, news and hardware and keep a tab on their PSN trophies. The application shall be free to download.

While this application is sure to let gamers keep a tab on theirs and their friends’ activities, it will not be a useful gaming device. That gap, it has been speculated, will be fulfilled by a PlayStation phone. Reports have suggested that this new Android based smartphone – complete with gaming controls – shall be announced sometime in the first quarter of next year. If you are a hardcore PS gamer, keep your fingers crossed until then.

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Gadgets

Easy PS 3 Downgrade With HTC HD2 Android App

If you own an Sony PlayStation 3 that you are looking to jailbreak or downgrade, here is a newly launched app that could make the process quite simple. Only one problem here – you will need a HTC HD2 to go ahead with the jailbreak process.

The application to make this happen is PS3DJB. The app will first jailbreak and then take the user through the process of downgrading the PS3 firmware. To get started, you will need to download and install the PS3DJB and DowngradeUpdater applications on your SD card. Once this is done, you can choose to create backup files, jailbreak and also downgrade the firmware. You can find the complete downgrading instructions here.

In the words of the developer,

“This app just make things easier/noobier for people who want to jailbreak or downgrade there ps3. i personally got annoyed always having to open file explorer and hit both options to launch. i have a lot of crap on my sd card so this makes it easier for me and i hope others. it will also give you a dedicated folder for the downgrade.”

Do check the application out and let us know how the hack goes in the comments below.

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Sony

Watch ITV & Channel 4 On PS3 In UK Starting This Week

If you are in the United Kingdom, you can start watching your favorite programs on Channel 4 and ITV from your PlayStation soon. Sony has announced a partnership with the two television channels to bring their content to PS3.

For what it’s worth, ITV has already been available as a web-based service for a while. Also, in the case of ITV, this expansion is not limited to Sony PS 3. The channel has revealed that they are leaving their services open for availability on other platforms – including the console rivals as well. However, in case of Channel 4, the television is likely to be available solely on Sony PS 3 for the moment. The television channel does not seem to have reached agreeable deals with Microsoft and Nintendo which means it will be available solely on PS 3 consoles for the time being.

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Mobile Sony

New PlayStation Phone Video Demo Out

Sony Ericsson may be keeping details about its upcoming PlayStation Phone close to its chest, but that has not stopped the rumors and speculations from floating across the blogosphere. After we heard from sources earlier this week that the PlayStation Phone was “nowhere near ready” as yet and more importantly that the phone shall not be compatible with the existing lineup of PSP games comes a new video that gives us more details about the product.

From whatever we could gather that the phone will indeed run PlayStation games. Launch date is anyone’s guess at the moment though the product does appear close to being ready for launch.

Check out the video of the PlayStation phone in action below. Does it make you want one yourself? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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Gadgets

PlayStation Jailbreak Tool Price Drops To $99

PSJailbreak, the software that will enable PlayStation users to jailbreak their consoles will now be available at $99. The software was until now available at a price of $125. The jailbreak team has announced a number of major announcements that are likely to give a push to the sale of the jailbreak software which, we presume, may have seen a drop in recent times.

According to an announcement on the PSJailbreak blog, the developers have noted that apart from this price drop, they will also be making it possible for users to employ the PSDowngrade software an unlimited number of times. That means users may play 3D videos and online play using the 3.50 firmware and downgrade to play homebrew. The new updates to PSDowngrade and PSUpgrdader are noted to be free of charge. All future versions of PSJailbreak shall also be bundled with PSDowngrade free of charge.

You can purchase the jailbreak as well as downgrade software from the developer website here. Do you see the sales picking up with this price drop?

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Gadgets

VUDU HD Movie Streaming On PS3 Launching

VUDU has announced the launch of a redesigned user interface that is better optimized for HD televisions with wide aspect ratios. This new UI of the popular movie rental service, dubbed VUDU 2.0, comes with a tabbed interface that will allow for better organization. Besides the launch, the company has also announced that high definition movie streaming will soon be enabled for PlayStation 3. According to a media statement from the company, the new HD video streaming on PS3 will include HD, HDX and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound.

What’s more, the new incorporation of the new VUDU 2.0 UI will mean users can also make use of the PS3 motion controllers like PlayStation Move to navigate through menu options.

The high definition movie streaming facility for PS3 console is expected to be made available from November 23. Are you looking forward to this?

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Gadgets Gaming

Downgrade PS3 Firmware To Older Version With PSDowngrade

Before I get to the news in the title, here’s something interesting for the week. Folks at PSJailbreak have announced that they have been successful in jailbreaking into the latest PS3 firmware version of 3.42 and 3.50. The hack is enabled using a USB mod that will enable users to install unapproved software and games to their PlayStation consoles.

If you have jailbroken your PS3 using one of these softwares, it is now also possible to downgrade your system to an older version of the firmware. PSJailbreak have now launched a sister-site called PSDowngrade.com that will assist the user in downgrading their Playstations to an older firmware. The hackers claim that the downgrade process is very easy and intuitive and will take less than a minute to carry out. So there you go.

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Gaming Sony

Now Available : Hulu Plus For Sony PlayStation 3 In USA

Until now, you had to be a member of the Sony PlayStation Plus family in order to be able to watch videos from the TV streaming service over your gaming console. No longer; if you are in the United States. Sony has announced that this facility has now been opened up for all PlayStation 3 users in the country and that they do not need to be a PlayStation Plus user to avail the service.

This however does not mean you get to have all of this for free. Users must still sign up for the Hulu Plus subscription that is available at a price of $9.99 per month. So as I see this, the move is a win for Hulu in getting access to more paid members while Sony may now have to focus on other compelling aspects of PSN in order to get members paying up for the premium service.

Categories
Accessories Gaming Sony

New Bluetooth Headset For PlayStation 3 – Price & Feature Details Revealed

Sony is coming up with a new look Bluetooth headset for their PS3 console that will give users the ability to conspire gaming strategies with fellow gamers while on their console. The new official Bluetooth headset is an improved version of the earlier headset though it does not come with any drastically new features. Primarily, the headset will still include the same features like dual microphones, USB based automatic pairing with PS3, cradle charger and a mute button. Also, this headset will feature a 30% reduced size and a much sleeker look along with noise-cancelling functionality. You can also engage in three-way calling over mobile phones.

The new official bluetooth headset for Sony PlayStation 3 is compatible on PS 3 firmware of 3.50 and above and will be available on the stores in the coming weeks at a price of $49.99.