Thursday 30 June 2011
Wednesday 29 June 2011
Tuesday 28 June 2011
More Americans buying e-readers than tablets, study says
(CNN) -- Ads touting Apple's iPad seem to be everywhere, but e-readers such as Amazon.com's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook are actually more popular with consumers, according to a new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Last winter, tablets had a slight market lead. According to Pew, as of that time, 7% of U.S. adults owned a tablet computer (such as the iPad or Motorola Mobility's Xoom), while only 6% owned an e-reader device.
But that picture soon changed drastically. By May, 12% of U.S. adults owned an e-reader, while tablet ownership expanded only to 8%. (Note: the margin of error on this survey is 2%, but that would not challenge the market lead of e-readers.)
This is not an either-or technology choice. Pew noted that 3% of adults own both devices. Specifically, 9% own an e-reader but not a tablet, and 5% own a tablet but not an e-reader.
Apple has sold more than 25 million iPads and has a dominant share of the tablet market. Amazon and Barnes & Noble don't disclose sales of their e-reader devices. Citi analyst Mark Mahaney forecasts that Amazon could sell 17.5 million Kindles in this year alone.
Who's buying e-readers? According to Pew, Hispanics (who appear to be leading other U.S. ethnic demographics generally in embracing mobile technology), adults under age 65, college graduates, parents, and people in households earning less than $75,000 per year are especially likely to own e-readers.
Also: "There was considerable growth in e-reader ownership between November 2010 and May 2011 among college graduates, one-fifth of whom now own these devices," Pew reports. This is interesting, since Insider Higher Ed, an industry trade publication, recently reported that after a slow start, the market for electronic college textbooks experienced a surge this spring.
Who's buying tablets? Pew reports that from November 2010 to May, the largest increases in tablet ownership have been among men, Hispanics, people with at least some college education and household incomes of $30,000 or more. But the very highest increases in tablet ownership were seen among Hispanic adults and households earning at least $75,000 annually.
Why are e-readers more popular than tablets?
Based on device specifications alone, tablets would seem to offer greater consumer appeal, since you can do far more with a tablet than an e-reader. A tablet is an e-reader plus a video screen plus a game player plus a web browser plus ... .
E-readers typically limit users to buying, downloading, reading and annotating books. Furthermore, most e-readers still feature a black-and-white e-ink display and lack touchscreens. (Though, the new Nook has the latter.)
But price may play a key role. Right now you can buy a brand new Amazon Kindle for as little as $114, with free Wi-Fi access -- and Amazon has reportedly hinted that some day the Kindle might be given away for free. You can get the simplest Barnes & Noble Nook for $139. (Can't decide? Consumer Reports gave the Nook slightly better marks than the Kindle.)
In contrast, the least expensive iPad 2 costs $499. If you want 3G data access, the entry-level model costs $629. (New or used first-generation iPads are sold for less.) Adding to the total price, two wireless carriers offer prepaid or month-to-month data services: Verizon's iPad data plans start at $20 a month; and AT&T's plans start at $15 a month.
The BlackBerry Playbook costs $499. Many Android tablets also sell for that price, although the Asus Eee Pad starts at $400.
There's a fuzzy line between e-readers and tablets. Most notably, the $249 Nook Color, which features a touchscreen, advanced Web browser and Wi-Fi chip, is actually a modified Android tablet. The blog Tech Republic explains how to hack the Nook Color to operate as a full-feature Android tablet.
Of course, second-hand, refurbished or older-model e-readers and tablets of all types are widely sold via eBay, Craigslist, and discount vendors for considerably lower prices.
E-readers and tablets are still very much emerging markets.
"Both e-book reader and tablet computer adoption levels among U.S. adults are still well below that of other tech devices that have been on the market longer," according to the Pew report. "Cell phones are far and away the most popular digital device among U.S. adults today, followed by desktop and laptop computers, DVRs, and MP3 players."
For some additional perspective on mobile technology, Pew writes: "This survey marks the first time that laptop computers are as popular as desktop computers."
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amy Gahran.
Last winter, tablets had a slight market lead. According to Pew, as of that time, 7% of U.S. adults owned a tablet computer (such as the iPad or Motorola Mobility's Xoom), while only 6% owned an e-reader device.
But that picture soon changed drastically. By May, 12% of U.S. adults owned an e-reader, while tablet ownership expanded only to 8%. (Note: the margin of error on this survey is 2%, but that would not challenge the market lead of e-readers.)
This is not an either-or technology choice. Pew noted that 3% of adults own both devices. Specifically, 9% own an e-reader but not a tablet, and 5% own a tablet but not an e-reader.
Apple has sold more than 25 million iPads and has a dominant share of the tablet market. Amazon and Barnes & Noble don't disclose sales of their e-reader devices. Citi analyst Mark Mahaney forecasts that Amazon could sell 17.5 million Kindles in this year alone.
Who's buying e-readers? According to Pew, Hispanics (who appear to be leading other U.S. ethnic demographics generally in embracing mobile technology), adults under age 65, college graduates, parents, and people in households earning less than $75,000 per year are especially likely to own e-readers.
Also: "There was considerable growth in e-reader ownership between November 2010 and May 2011 among college graduates, one-fifth of whom now own these devices," Pew reports. This is interesting, since Insider Higher Ed, an industry trade publication, recently reported that after a slow start, the market for electronic college textbooks experienced a surge this spring.
Who's buying tablets? Pew reports that from November 2010 to May, the largest increases in tablet ownership have been among men, Hispanics, people with at least some college education and household incomes of $30,000 or more. But the very highest increases in tablet ownership were seen among Hispanic adults and households earning at least $75,000 annually.
Why are e-readers more popular than tablets?
Based on device specifications alone, tablets would seem to offer greater consumer appeal, since you can do far more with a tablet than an e-reader. A tablet is an e-reader plus a video screen plus a game player plus a web browser plus ... .
E-readers typically limit users to buying, downloading, reading and annotating books. Furthermore, most e-readers still feature a black-and-white e-ink display and lack touchscreens. (Though, the new Nook has the latter.)
But price may play a key role. Right now you can buy a brand new Amazon Kindle for as little as $114, with free Wi-Fi access -- and Amazon has reportedly hinted that some day the Kindle might be given away for free. You can get the simplest Barnes & Noble Nook for $139. (Can't decide? Consumer Reports gave the Nook slightly better marks than the Kindle.)
In contrast, the least expensive iPad 2 costs $499. If you want 3G data access, the entry-level model costs $629. (New or used first-generation iPads are sold for less.) Adding to the total price, two wireless carriers offer prepaid or month-to-month data services: Verizon's iPad data plans start at $20 a month; and AT&T's plans start at $15 a month.
The BlackBerry Playbook costs $499. Many Android tablets also sell for that price, although the Asus Eee Pad starts at $400.
There's a fuzzy line between e-readers and tablets. Most notably, the $249 Nook Color, which features a touchscreen, advanced Web browser and Wi-Fi chip, is actually a modified Android tablet. The blog Tech Republic explains how to hack the Nook Color to operate as a full-feature Android tablet.
Of course, second-hand, refurbished or older-model e-readers and tablets of all types are widely sold via eBay, Craigslist, and discount vendors for considerably lower prices.
E-readers and tablets are still very much emerging markets.
"Both e-book reader and tablet computer adoption levels among U.S. adults are still well below that of other tech devices that have been on the market longer," according to the Pew report. "Cell phones are far and away the most popular digital device among U.S. adults today, followed by desktop and laptop computers, DVRs, and MP3 players."
For some additional perspective on mobile technology, Pew writes: "This survey marks the first time that laptop computers are as popular as desktop computers."
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amy Gahran.
Wednesday 22 June 2011
iPhone accounts for two thirds of UK connected app users
(Guardian Tech) Should mobile app developers be putting more effort into porting their apps to Symbian smartphones? There's a large existing install base, and while Nokia is planning to phase out the OS over the next couple of years, the company claims it will sell another 150 million Symbian devices during that time.
New figures released by industry body the GSMA tell another story, however. According to its Mobile Media Metrics report, compiled together with comScore, Symbian accounted for just 1% of connected application users in the UK in April.
Apple's iOS took a 65% share, with Android accounting for 31%, and other platforms (BlackBerry, Windows Mobile/Phone, webOS and feature phones) taking a 3% share.
The analysis is based on the same principles as the research we reported on last week: comScore's data is based on apps that connect to the Internet over an operator network, so they don't include non-connected downloadable games. In other words, Symbian users who are downloading and playing games on their phones won't be counted for the purposes of this survey.
comScore provided Apps Blog with some separate figures from its MobiLens research, showing device market share for smartphones in the UK in April. According to those figures, 27.6% of smartphone users were on iPhone that month, 24.7% on Android, 23.6% on Symbian, 18.1% on BlackBerry and 3.8% on Windows Mobile or Windows Phone 7 devices.
Compare the two pieces of research, and you see iPhone is hugely over-indexing in terms of connected app usage, Android is doing pretty well, but Symbian – 23.6% of active smartphones but a mere 1% of connected app users – hardly presents an appealing prospect to developers making those connected apps.
Caveats? Just a few. The figures don't tell us much about the addressable market in the UK for people using non-connected apps. They don't tell us anything about countries elsewhere in the world where Symbian may be a more viable platform for these applications.
Meanwhile, we're puzzled at the poor share for BlackBerry given the popularity of mail and BBM messaging on RIM's devices – we suspect that these apps may not be registering with comScore due to the technical details of the BlackBerry platform.
Even so, when next wondering why so many developers appear to have iOS tunnel vision, the Mobile Media Metrics figures for the UK provide valuable context. To put it bluntly, according to these stats, there are more than 5.7 million iPhone owners using connected apps in the UK, versus 2.7 million Android users and 119,000 Symbian users.
It's not just about how many devices have been sold, but about how many of those people are actively downloading and using apps. And how many are willing to pay for them, of course, but that's another piece of research in the making.
New figures released by industry body the GSMA tell another story, however. According to its Mobile Media Metrics report, compiled together with comScore, Symbian accounted for just 1% of connected application users in the UK in April.
Apple's iOS took a 65% share, with Android accounting for 31%, and other platforms (BlackBerry, Windows Mobile/Phone, webOS and feature phones) taking a 3% share.
The analysis is based on the same principles as the research we reported on last week: comScore's data is based on apps that connect to the Internet over an operator network, so they don't include non-connected downloadable games. In other words, Symbian users who are downloading and playing games on their phones won't be counted for the purposes of this survey.
comScore provided Apps Blog with some separate figures from its MobiLens research, showing device market share for smartphones in the UK in April. According to those figures, 27.6% of smartphone users were on iPhone that month, 24.7% on Android, 23.6% on Symbian, 18.1% on BlackBerry and 3.8% on Windows Mobile or Windows Phone 7 devices.
Compare the two pieces of research, and you see iPhone is hugely over-indexing in terms of connected app usage, Android is doing pretty well, but Symbian – 23.6% of active smartphones but a mere 1% of connected app users – hardly presents an appealing prospect to developers making those connected apps.
Caveats? Just a few. The figures don't tell us much about the addressable market in the UK for people using non-connected apps. They don't tell us anything about countries elsewhere in the world where Symbian may be a more viable platform for these applications.
Meanwhile, we're puzzled at the poor share for BlackBerry given the popularity of mail and BBM messaging on RIM's devices – we suspect that these apps may not be registering with comScore due to the technical details of the BlackBerry platform.
Even so, when next wondering why so many developers appear to have iOS tunnel vision, the Mobile Media Metrics figures for the UK provide valuable context. To put it bluntly, according to these stats, there are more than 5.7 million iPhone owners using connected apps in the UK, versus 2.7 million Android users and 119,000 Symbian users.
It's not just about how many devices have been sold, but about how many of those people are actively downloading and using apps. And how many are willing to pay for them, of course, but that's another piece of research in the making.
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Twitter is the new Facebook
(CNN) -- Following a whirlwind week and a half of product announcements, you can throw Twitter's attempts to differentiate itself as an "information network" out the window -- there is little doubt the company is now entrenched in serious competition with Facebook for the much grander social networking crown.
After announcing that it would finally be bringing native photo and video sharing to its service on June 1, Twitter's biggest product win to-date came on Tuesday, when Apple announced that iOS 5 would include deep Twitter integration.
That means that the 200 million plus people with iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices (or at least the tens of millions able to upgrade to iOS 5) will have the ability to do things like post photos, videos and links to Twitter with a single tap.
Application developers will also be able to add this type of functionality to their iOS applications, further accelerating the impact of the partnership.
In summarizing the significance of that, my Mashable colleague Jennifer Van Grove wrote, "[Twitter] will soon be the social layer of iOS, enabling users to turn individual actions such as snapping a photo or reading an article into instant social activities."
For Facebook, who has long positioned itself as the social graph of the Web (and in turn mobile), that's a big blow.
Sure, application developers can still build Facebook integration into their iOS apps, but by making Twitter the default in apps like Camera, Safari and YouTube, Apple has dictated where millions of pieces of content will invariably flow.
At the same time, by adding native photo and video sharing and moving people over to its own Web and client experiences, Twitter is positioned like never before to capitalize on that content and keep people on its site, and in turn challenge Facebook where it dominates like no other: Engagement.
At the start of this year, Hitwise reported that the average Facebook user spends an impressive four hours and 35 minutes per month on the site, more than any other property on the Web, and more than double the average Twitter user's monthly two hours and 12 minutes.
But now that Twitter is turning itself into a social network, that could soon change. Instead of creating and consuming photos and videos on third-party sites -- something that's already hugely popular on Twitter and is Facebook's No. 1 time sink -- users will be doing it on Twitter.com.
Add to that the fact that Twitter now owns the most popular third-party client (TweetDeck) and has been systematically eating away at the ecosystem it enabled, and the numbers quickly add up.
The icing on the cake, of course, is the iOS tie-up, which for now gives Twitter priority seating over Facebook with tens of millions of highly engaged mobile users.
Granted, Facebook could also do a deal with Apple before iOS 5 rolls out this fall, but it's unclear what kind of relationship those companies have following last year's contentious split over Ping.
For the moment, Twitter's iOS win is a symbolic victory over Facebook that signals the company's growing ambitions as a social network.
In the long-run, however, it could very much be the partnership that helps move Twitter from Facebook's distant cousin to its arch rival.
After announcing that it would finally be bringing native photo and video sharing to its service on June 1, Twitter's biggest product win to-date came on Tuesday, when Apple announced that iOS 5 would include deep Twitter integration.
That means that the 200 million plus people with iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices (or at least the tens of millions able to upgrade to iOS 5) will have the ability to do things like post photos, videos and links to Twitter with a single tap.
Application developers will also be able to add this type of functionality to their iOS applications, further accelerating the impact of the partnership.
In summarizing the significance of that, my Mashable colleague Jennifer Van Grove wrote, "[Twitter] will soon be the social layer of iOS, enabling users to turn individual actions such as snapping a photo or reading an article into instant social activities."
For Facebook, who has long positioned itself as the social graph of the Web (and in turn mobile), that's a big blow.
Sure, application developers can still build Facebook integration into their iOS apps, but by making Twitter the default in apps like Camera, Safari and YouTube, Apple has dictated where millions of pieces of content will invariably flow.
At the same time, by adding native photo and video sharing and moving people over to its own Web and client experiences, Twitter is positioned like never before to capitalize on that content and keep people on its site, and in turn challenge Facebook where it dominates like no other: Engagement.
At the start of this year, Hitwise reported that the average Facebook user spends an impressive four hours and 35 minutes per month on the site, more than any other property on the Web, and more than double the average Twitter user's monthly two hours and 12 minutes.
But now that Twitter is turning itself into a social network, that could soon change. Instead of creating and consuming photos and videos on third-party sites -- something that's already hugely popular on Twitter and is Facebook's No. 1 time sink -- users will be doing it on Twitter.com.
Add to that the fact that Twitter now owns the most popular third-party client (TweetDeck) and has been systematically eating away at the ecosystem it enabled, and the numbers quickly add up.
The icing on the cake, of course, is the iOS tie-up, which for now gives Twitter priority seating over Facebook with tens of millions of highly engaged mobile users.
Granted, Facebook could also do a deal with Apple before iOS 5 rolls out this fall, but it's unclear what kind of relationship those companies have following last year's contentious split over Ping.
For the moment, Twitter's iOS win is a symbolic victory over Facebook that signals the company's growing ambitions as a social network.
In the long-run, however, it could very much be the partnership that helps move Twitter from Facebook's distant cousin to its arch rival.
Monday 20 June 2011
(techradar) Details of Facebook's music dashboard are revealed
Facebook - close to facing the music
Facebook's upcoming music service looks likely to launch with the help of a number of big name streaming partners, it has been revealed.
This is according to GigaOm, which rounded up everything it knows about the music platform; including rumours that Spotify won't be the only partnership in Facebook's musical endeavour.
Although just what partnerships will be involved is not yet known, it is thought that a potential release date for the service will be at Facebook's f8 conference in August.
What is known is how the music service will work. Facebook is looking to integrate music into the site's normal homepage and use a tab for music, which will be situated under the other tabs currently on the left-hand side of the page, like Places, Pages and Games.
Click on this tab and a music dashboard will appear. To play the tracks you want to, you just use the playback button at the bottom of the Facebook page.
Get connected
It seems like the whole service relies on Facebook Connect – so you have to Connect with whichever music service you want for it to work through the Facebook page.
On the music dashboard, there will be recommended songs, other songs your friends are listening to. You will also be able to see what all your other friends are listening too at any particular time – and presumably mock them if a bit of Blue ends up on their digital stereo.
Facebook has remained tight-lipped over its music service, so expect more rumour and speculation to come in dribs and drabs.
The idea to mix music with social is an intriguing one – as we have seen with Ping, it doesn't always work. But unlike Apple who tried to bring the social to the music, Facebook is bringing music to the social, something which is a much easier prospect.
Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/details-of-facebook-s-music-dashboard-are-revealed-968262#ixzz1PoBVkpyz
Facebook's upcoming music service looks likely to launch with the help of a number of big name streaming partners, it has been revealed.
This is according to GigaOm, which rounded up everything it knows about the music platform; including rumours that Spotify won't be the only partnership in Facebook's musical endeavour.
Although just what partnerships will be involved is not yet known, it is thought that a potential release date for the service will be at Facebook's f8 conference in August.
What is known is how the music service will work. Facebook is looking to integrate music into the site's normal homepage and use a tab for music, which will be situated under the other tabs currently on the left-hand side of the page, like Places, Pages and Games.
Click on this tab and a music dashboard will appear. To play the tracks you want to, you just use the playback button at the bottom of the Facebook page.
Get connected
It seems like the whole service relies on Facebook Connect – so you have to Connect with whichever music service you want for it to work through the Facebook page.
On the music dashboard, there will be recommended songs, other songs your friends are listening to. You will also be able to see what all your other friends are listening too at any particular time – and presumably mock them if a bit of Blue ends up on their digital stereo.
Facebook has remained tight-lipped over its music service, so expect more rumour and speculation to come in dribs and drabs.
The idea to mix music with social is an intriguing one – as we have seen with Ping, it doesn't always work. But unlike Apple who tried to bring the social to the music, Facebook is bringing music to the social, something which is a much easier prospect.
Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/details-of-facebook-s-music-dashboard-are-revealed-968262#ixzz1PoBVkpyz
Thursday 16 June 2011
Apple 'Planning To Ban iPhone Videos At Gigs' (SKY TECH)
Apple 'Planning To Ban iPhone Videos At Gigs'
1:39pm UK, Thursday June 16, 2011
Recording your favourite band at a concert or festival could soon be a thing of the past, if Apple gets its way.
People using mobile phones at a concert
Phones are often used to video performances
Patent plans filed by the corporation in late 2009 have come to light, showing plans to automatically shut off iPhone cameras if they are held aloft.
The Californian company's plans reveal that infra-red sensors would detect when a person is filming and would disable the camera.
In the patent, Apple describes "using the camera to capture a second image that includes an infrared signal with encoded data".
The phone would then determine whether that encoded data contains a disable command, and, if necessary, "disable a record function", or introduce a compulsory watermark.
In the same patent application, Apple outlines other ways the infra-red emitter could operate to the benefit of users.
A man looks at an iPhone at the Apple store in New York May 23, 2011. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS)
The use of infra-red might not be limited to concerts
One example cited is in museums.
A transmitter could be located next to a museum exhibit and its infra-red signal could include data that represents information about it, appearing automatically on the iPhone.
Apple also make it clear that there could be a future in retail environment for the software.
James Holland, editor of technology site electricpig.co.uk, said implementing such an idea would be a 'long way off'.
"Apple's plan is ingenious, and I can see why some music venues and artists would like it, especially if it stops bootlegging, but on the other hand many clubs and bars survive on word of mouth. To stop people taking photos to post to Twitter and Facebook would be lunacy.
"A patent is just an expression of an idea, and no guarantee Apple's actually building it into the iPhone.
"Implementing that sort of protection for a venue would be a large undertaking.
"Enough infra-red light, carrying a coded signal to switch off cameras, visible from every angle around the stage - that's not something you'd take lightly, and since Apple would surely charge for the equipment a venue would need, it's a long way off yet."
1:39pm UK, Thursday June 16, 2011
Recording your favourite band at a concert or festival could soon be a thing of the past, if Apple gets its way.
People using mobile phones at a concert
Phones are often used to video performances
Patent plans filed by the corporation in late 2009 have come to light, showing plans to automatically shut off iPhone cameras if they are held aloft.
The Californian company's plans reveal that infra-red sensors would detect when a person is filming and would disable the camera.
In the patent, Apple describes "using the camera to capture a second image that includes an infrared signal with encoded data".
The phone would then determine whether that encoded data contains a disable command, and, if necessary, "disable a record function", or introduce a compulsory watermark.
In the same patent application, Apple outlines other ways the infra-red emitter could operate to the benefit of users.
A man looks at an iPhone at the Apple store in New York May 23, 2011. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS)
The use of infra-red might not be limited to concerts
One example cited is in museums.
A transmitter could be located next to a museum exhibit and its infra-red signal could include data that represents information about it, appearing automatically on the iPhone.
Apple also make it clear that there could be a future in retail environment for the software.
James Holland, editor of technology site electricpig.co.uk, said implementing such an idea would be a 'long way off'.
"Apple's plan is ingenious, and I can see why some music venues and artists would like it, especially if it stops bootlegging, but on the other hand many clubs and bars survive on word of mouth. To stop people taking photos to post to Twitter and Facebook would be lunacy.
"A patent is just an expression of an idea, and no guarantee Apple's actually building it into the iPhone.
"Implementing that sort of protection for a venue would be a large undertaking.
"Enough infra-red light, carrying a coded signal to switch off cameras, visible from every angle around the stage - that's not something you'd take lightly, and since Apple would surely charge for the equipment a venue would need, it's a long way off yet."
Thursday 9 June 2011
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Sony seeks to change the subject with launch of Playstation Vita
Los Angeles (CNN) -- After weeks of headlines about the outage of its hacker-compromised online gaming system, Sony on Monday looked to change the conversation with Playstation Vita, a machine they say will "revolutionize" handheld game play.
The gaming system, which will be available by this year's holiday season, marries advances in portable gaming with the Playstation's longstanding gaming pedigree, said Sony president of consumer products Kazuo Hirai.
"Playstation Vita will revolutionize the portable entertainment experience," he said. "It is an experience you really need to see and feel to believe."
The Vita was unveiled as part of Sony's presentation on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, which officially begins Tuesday.
The device will have a 5-inch touch screen and feature front and back-mounted cameras and touch pads in addition to a pair of mounted joysticks. The system will let players use any, or all, of those controls during a game.
With more than 80 titles already in development, according to Sony, the Vita will offer cross-platform play, letting players continue some games between the Vita and the Playstation or, in some cases, even play multiplayer games against others using either a Vita or Playstation.
The Wi-Fi only version will sell for $249 and a 3G model, with exclusive AT&T service, will be $299.
The Vita, which Sony had been calling the NGP (next-generation portable) before its official unveiling, marks the company's biggest advance in the handheld gaming space since it introduced the Sony PSP in 2006.
It doesn't feature 3D gaming, like rival Nintendo's 3DS, which was rolled out at last year's E3. But Hirai teased that the dual cameras will be used in another emerging video-game space -- augmented reality.
"With Playstation Vita, the whole world really is in play," he said.
John Davidson, of gaming website GameSpot, liked what he saw of the Vita after an early look, calling its visual fidelity "remarkable."
"Definitely closer to handheld 'HD' experience than previous handhelds," he said in an email to CNN.
Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, didn't waste time Monday addressing the hacker-caused outage that had the Playstation Network down for the better part of a month for most players.
He called it the "elephant in the room" and thanked gamers for staying loyal during the down time.
"You are the lifeblood of this company. Without you there is no Playstation," Tretton said. "I want to apologize, both personally and on behalf of the company, for any anxiety we caused you.
"I know we took you away from what you enjoy most ... and it is you that causes us both to be humble and amazed at the amount of dedication and support you continue to give to the Playstation brand."
Noting the weeks of negative headlines, he jokingly said "you're welcome" to members of the media. He said that more than 90 percent of users have returned to the online network, which saw its online store returned last week.
Sony also kept up the push for 3-D gaming Monday by taking on what's been considered one of the key stumbling blocks to its success: Price.
Acknowledging that the cost of 3-D television remains prohibitive for many gamers, Tretton announced that Sony will be making a Playstation-branded 3-D console that will sell, along with a set of 3-D glasses and the upcoming 3-D game "Resistance 3," for $499.
The 24-inch console, which can also be used to watch 3-D movies and television, offers a split-screen mode for multi-player gaming.
"We know that gaming is going to drive 3-D adoption," Tretton said.
Among the upcoming games Sony featured, the two that got the most attention were "Uncharted: Drake's Deception" and "Bioshock: Infinite."
Both will be available for the Playstation and Vita.
The gaming system, which will be available by this year's holiday season, marries advances in portable gaming with the Playstation's longstanding gaming pedigree, said Sony president of consumer products Kazuo Hirai.
"Playstation Vita will revolutionize the portable entertainment experience," he said. "It is an experience you really need to see and feel to believe."
The Vita was unveiled as part of Sony's presentation on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, which officially begins Tuesday.
The device will have a 5-inch touch screen and feature front and back-mounted cameras and touch pads in addition to a pair of mounted joysticks. The system will let players use any, or all, of those controls during a game.
With more than 80 titles already in development, according to Sony, the Vita will offer cross-platform play, letting players continue some games between the Vita and the Playstation or, in some cases, even play multiplayer games against others using either a Vita or Playstation.
The Wi-Fi only version will sell for $249 and a 3G model, with exclusive AT&T service, will be $299.
The Vita, which Sony had been calling the NGP (next-generation portable) before its official unveiling, marks the company's biggest advance in the handheld gaming space since it introduced the Sony PSP in 2006.
It doesn't feature 3D gaming, like rival Nintendo's 3DS, which was rolled out at last year's E3. But Hirai teased that the dual cameras will be used in another emerging video-game space -- augmented reality.
"With Playstation Vita, the whole world really is in play," he said.
John Davidson, of gaming website GameSpot, liked what he saw of the Vita after an early look, calling its visual fidelity "remarkable."
"Definitely closer to handheld 'HD' experience than previous handhelds," he said in an email to CNN.
Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, didn't waste time Monday addressing the hacker-caused outage that had the Playstation Network down for the better part of a month for most players.
He called it the "elephant in the room" and thanked gamers for staying loyal during the down time.
"You are the lifeblood of this company. Without you there is no Playstation," Tretton said. "I want to apologize, both personally and on behalf of the company, for any anxiety we caused you.
"I know we took you away from what you enjoy most ... and it is you that causes us both to be humble and amazed at the amount of dedication and support you continue to give to the Playstation brand."
Noting the weeks of negative headlines, he jokingly said "you're welcome" to members of the media. He said that more than 90 percent of users have returned to the online network, which saw its online store returned last week.
Sony also kept up the push for 3-D gaming Monday by taking on what's been considered one of the key stumbling blocks to its success: Price.
Acknowledging that the cost of 3-D television remains prohibitive for many gamers, Tretton announced that Sony will be making a Playstation-branded 3-D console that will sell, along with a set of 3-D glasses and the upcoming 3-D game "Resistance 3," for $499.
The 24-inch console, which can also be used to watch 3-D movies and television, offers a split-screen mode for multi-player gaming.
"We know that gaming is going to drive 3-D adoption," Tretton said.
Among the upcoming games Sony featured, the two that got the most attention were "Uncharted: Drake's Deception" and "Bioshock: Infinite."
Both will be available for the Playstation and Vita.
Saturday 4 June 2011
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