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PlayStation 3 Firmware 2.4 Bricking Some PS3s
Posted by Mark Wilson at 11:39 PM on July 2, 2008
It's not uncommon for firmware updates to go wonky, and apparently Sony's 2.4 PS3 update is no exception. The PlayStation forums are scattered with various reports of bricked PS3s--users report that upon booting their system, the SIXAXIS controller will not sync and the video signal is blank with no sound. Unfortunately, you can never tell how widespread these issues are when the sampling is just one messageboard. And I've updated my 60GB launch unit without issue. Suckers.
The 
I have tried the iTunes 7.7 confidential pre-release--which will be required to install the new iPhone OS--and the latest iPhone OS 2.0 release: 5A345. After a few days of heavy use, I can tell you that both versions are rock-solid. As you can see in the video, the App Store is there--although it's not active yet--along with the new Push data feature, the content restrictions, and the BCC field in Mail, among the rest of the new features. iTunes doesn't change much, but there are a couple of interesting additions, like the "iPhone and iPod touch remotes" option.
Rolando isn't the name of some Chinese OEM iPhone knockoff, it's an iPhone game in development that looks a lot like Sony's LocoRoco. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Players simply gesture with their finger for easy controls in gameplay that doesn't require d-pads or all that crazy, this-will-never-fly-on-the-subway tilting. And the video looks fantastic...with a song that will get stuck in your head for the rest of the day:
See that robot there? It's burned by a 
Behold the Waspinator 2! It has an intelligent optical and ultra-sound directional microphone tracking system which identifies wasps flying near your house by their flight pattern and buzz. Then, the Waspinator 2 uses up to six retractable low-power laser mini-cannons to individually target and kill the wasps, virtually vaporising them in mid-air. Or at least, that's what, with a name like Waspinator 2 should be. Instead, it's just a thing that simulates a wasp nest, so real wasps wouldn't get near, fearing a possible enemy attack.
Previously it was 
"Oh!" you may say, thinking the Cargo scooter/moped concept by designer Elliot Ortiz is craziness exemplified. But listen: mopeds are a good solution in many places across the world, taking up less road space than cars and being cheap to run. One thing they lack is load-bearing abilities, and that's what Elliot's design is supposed to fix. Taking a few design cues from the classic Vespa, it's got that huge hole in the chassis which allows you to sling narrow loads inside. There's even a DHL scooter concept in the gallery. I can't help but wonder about stability of the thing, but it's a neat bit of lateral thinking. Should it remain a concept? What do you think, guys? [
Mixing water and electricity is never a good thing, unless it's in the style of the new "CMB Antimicrobial Wound Dressing with PROSIT" bandage. When you wet it, it generates a small voltage which prevents pesky microbes, fungus, mold and yeast from getting through its treated polyester fibres. Good news if you've got an open wound, and good news if you're a fan of the old electric-shocker handshake joke. Just kidding: This is pretty clever stuff, particularly as it's also been shown to reduce pain. Currently you can leave it in place for three days, but maker Silverleaf Medical Products is working on extending that, and bringing PROSIT to saleability with FDA approval. [
Motion-controller fans who don't want to get into 
CDs and DVDs tend not to last long in my house... but since I just fling them in a pile in the cupboard, that's entirely my fault. The Sanwa CD-RE1AT might be just the ticket, though: it works on 8cm or 12cm CDs, DVDs and BDs. With a push of a button it removes dust, fingerprints and "oily spots" from discs, and with the "repair" button it solves skipping problems and coats the discs with a protective layer, without grinding. Available now for US$79. If only it found missing CD case inserts too, it'd be perfect. [
These officially licensed Star Wars Nintendo DS Styluses are just what we need to draw insane circles around Pokemon, help Phoenix Wright solve cases and cut open random people in that really hard doctor game. They come in two flavours: a three-pack of standard plastic ones for US$7.99 or a two-pack of glowing ones for US$16.99. Both are due July 31, which is exactly the day that we're going to pretending we're gigantic Jedi holding regular-sized lightsabers. [
Wow. Stan Glasgow, at dinner tonight with a few journalists, told us that Sony plans to network 90% of all of their products, thousands of models, by 2010. It's a matter of getting content on and between devices. He said that the goal was to have it happen automatically or with a click of a button.
Go download that 2.40 firmware update now for your PS3! It's got trophies, in-game XMB as well as a Google Search Bar. The trophies (achievements from Xbox 360) will be great for hardcore gamers, and the in-game XMB, which allows you to access various settings and send messages to your friends while inside games, makes for a very convenient gaming experience. We've got 
The Gadget: Kangaroom's laptop stand and charging station, which offers a ventilated laptop stand as well as two phone/iPod holders so you can have a place to charge your gear without cluttering up your desk. It's even tilted, since many laptop users enjoy typing at an angle.
Kotaku's pirate ear to the ground is picking up from sources that the Live dashboard will be updated with a spanky new interface option: what Crecente says is a Minority Report-like 3D interface that'll make use of that 
Developments like this tend to freak out people who are concerned that robots will one day rise up and make us all their slaves—but it is hard to deny that the UMan robot is impressive. Developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the UMass Mobile Manipulator (UMan) is an intelligent robot that is capable of teaching itself how to use objects it has never encountered before.