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Eric Lempel over at the PlayStation Blog has just posted what’s new in PS3 firmware v2.50, which will be released within the next few days, here’s the updates:

Support for the PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset - we’ve told you about the upcoming Bluetooth Headset and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Bundle on the Blog. This latest firmware installment enables High-Quality (HQ) mode, which delivers clear and wide-band online voice chat. On top of that, an added on-screen indicator shows battery status, volume level and use of HQ mode.

PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements - I know that many of you are busy collecting trophies and raising your PlayStation Trophy level. This update makes sharing and comparing your trophies with your friends even easier. On 1st part of the profile page you’ll see a symbol under level that represents level and the actual percentage towards the next level along with the existing level meter. The level symbol carries over to the trophy comparison screen where you will now be able to see your level, your friend’s level and the percentage towards the next level for both users along with all of the game by game comparison information you see today.

Friend status – Offline friends on your Friends list will have information below their avatars that will indicate how long it has been since they were last online.

Video – This update adds the Scene Search feature similar to the feature on the PSP. Activating this feature while viewing a video on the PS3 will break the video up into scenes that you can quickly access by pressing the X button. You can break the videos into one, two or five minute intervals. In addition, you can now choose to have all of the videos under the video section of the XMB play in sequence. Go to Settings then Video Settings to turn this option on.

PlayStation Store – We’ve added a redeem codes option right on the store to make it easier to redeem your PlayStation Network Cards and promotion codes. In addition, PlayStation Network Sign Up and Account Management have been redesigned.

Power Save Settings – You can now set your PS3 and wireless controllers to turn off automatically after set periods of inactivity. Go to Settings then Power Save Settings to turn on these features.

Background Downloading - You now have the option to set the PS3 to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has completed. This option is available when you turn off the system from the button under [Users] while content is being downloaded or installed.

In-game Screenshots - this tool will allow everyone to capture, share and in other words, immortalize their favorite gameplay moments. This will be supported on a game by game basis. Please check back to find out which games will support this feature.

UPDATE: Click here to find out what really happened at this years Playstation E3.

According to the rep, Sony have some interesting things to unveil at the show. The first thing which caught our attention was 4 new PS3 exclusive games which are to be released later on in the year and early 2009. These 4 new games will be shown as well as the following games which have been officially confirmed by Sony:

Killzone 2 (PS3)
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
MotorStorm Pacific Rift (PS3)
PixelJunk Eden (PS3)
Resistance 2 (PS3)
SIREN: Blood Curse Episode #1 (PSN)
SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)
Buzz! Master Quiz
Buzz! Quiz TV

We’re guessing that one of the 4 games to be announced by Sony later on today will be God of War 3. For the others, we’re unsure.

The Sony rep said that Home has a few more features/additions and these will also be demonstrated. What these features are exactly, we don’t know.

A new Playstation controller is also supposed to be in the making. Apparently it has a much longer battery life (not that the current controllers don’t have a long battery life!), will be lighter than the current DualShock3, and of course will include rumble. A wireless headset is also said to be included in future PS3 packages and we’re told that we could be seeing a new PS3 bundle in time for Christmas. With Resistance 2 being released in November, there’s a very good chance that Resistance 2 could be part of the new PS3 bundle.

A new PS3 firmware is supposed to be demonstrated, displaying “In game mic chat”. A few more “surprises” will be detailed later today, we’re not told what, so we’ll just have to sit back and wait.

As this is not officially confirmed by Sony, we’re currently calling all this a rumour for now - we’ll see it all happen later on today.

Update: We’ve just heard from one of our readers, Anand (PSN ID: IC3BLAK) that the Super Stardust HD update v4.0 has been released! Check it out here. not yet been re-released. We’re expecting the update to be re-released again sometime soon, especially considering that v2.41 was released earlier on today (otherwise this update would be partially useless for the time being?!). But until then - continue gazing at my trophy collection, IC3.

Yes, that’s right - PS3 firmware v2.41 is now live!

Eric Lempel reports that they have “been able to fix the problem” regarding the XMB not displaying for some PS3 users.

We assume that trophy patches for games such as Super Stardust HD have been re-released, we don’t know this for sure as we already have v4.0 installed on our systems so if anybody could confirm this for us, it would be great. Either leave a comment or drop us an email. Be sure to leave your name so we know who to thank!

Just a quick note to let you guys all know that the long awaited PS3 firmware v2.40 has finally been released! Head on over to your PS3’s system update now and grab it via the internet.

That’s all I have to say really, so go over to your PS3 and download this update!

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Eric Lempel, Director of PlayStation Network Operations has recently announced the a PSP system software update - v4.00 - and has revealed some of it’s features. He says that the main feature of the update will be adding Google Internet search directly to the XMB interface.

This new upgrade replicates the Google Internet search experience, delivering the same search results that you’d get at www.google.com. And with a search history recall of 20 items, Web searches couldn’t be easier.

After you download and install the firmware on your PSP, click on the XMB’s Network icon and then the new Internet Search icon. Enter your keywords and then let Google’s algorithms do the work. You’ll need to be connected to the Internet via a wireless access point or Wi-Fi hotspot. Googling something on the go has never been more convenient on your PSP.

Another feature of the future update “is the ability to change viewing speed during playback of videos stored on your Memory Stick PRO Duo, so you can speed through or slow down what you’re watching.”

We’ll let you know more about the update as the news rolls in.

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The new system software update has also included DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos, which means the high-definition visuals of Blu-ray will now be matched with the highest quality audio for the ultimate movie-watching experience on PS3.

So, if you haven’t done it already, go turn on your PS3 and update!

Sony Computer Entertainment’s running hot in the news waves right now, after PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4 exclusivity and BD Live caught on well at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. But Sony’s Paul Purdy just turned up the heat to insanely sizzlin’, and it’s because he’s just confirmed a long-requested feature: in-game XMB access for the Sony PlayStation 3.

That’s right: we say confirmed. Word is that the bombshell was dropped at CES 2008 and the target period for the anticipated update would be within the Year of the Rat. That’s within this year folks! So we repeat: Xross Media Bar access while playing a game is coming to PlayStation 3 gamers soon.

But because Sony hasn’t divulged more information, we’re bound to hear more updates from its camp as time rolls by. More intel on this once the signals read five by five.

After the news of Dark AleX working on 3.80 M33 CFW spread like wildfire throughout the Internet, a related rumor started to circulate throughout the information tubes. According to this interesting tidbit, DAX will release the 3.80 M33 CFW on December 24.

A poster from a gaming related forum reportedly saw Dark AleX posting “I will be releasing 3.80 M33 the 24th December” in an IRC channel. However, homebrew developer Mathieulh gunned down the rumor (and possibly dashing the hopes of PSP users hoping for an early release in the process), saying that the Dark AleX who posted that statement through IRC is most likely a fake, and explained that the real DAX wouldn’t show up in public IRC servers, “for obvious reasons.”

Well, there you have it. While we won’t get the 3.80 M33 CFW just in time for Christmas, at least we know that it’s already being worked on. More updates to come!

Here’s some good news for those of us looking forward to a new custom firmware for our Sony PlayStation Portables, after the coming of the official 3.80 firmware beast from Sony itself: it seems that none other than Dark AleX himself is working on it, with the official firmware itself already dumped and decrypted. Awesome.

This comes from a forum post from the Sony PlayStation Portable developer himself, in a thread that talks about the official firmware being ripe for the picking. The post:

Well, I will not be updating psar dumper until 3.80 M33, as for decompression it needs the 3.80 sysmem function for the new algorithm, but sysmem is also compressed with it. I’ll be using the ipl function for internal decryption.

Straight from the homebrew developer’s keyboard, and definitely good enough for us. Here’s to a quick and flawless release (as always)!

In light of the recent announcement of Lionsgate’s BD-Live movies, the latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 has been speculated to be released as early as this month already. We’re not sure if it’ll already have DivX technology, but here’s what movie studios expect: the next PS3 firmware could pave the way for interconnectivity functions of BD-Live Blu-ray movies.

In the same conference in which Lionsgate made their announcement, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment executive VP Don Eklund expects that the new firmware will give the PS3 system a Profile v1.1 (PiP) upgrade.

This should include support for picture-in-picture interactivity that the HD-DVD camp already had for quite some time now as a standard. Eklund suggests that this firmware update would do good to roll out during this holiday season.

“We have an aggressive program underway to use network capabilities on our titles next year,” stated Eklund.

Meanwhile, he also forecasts that another future PS3 firmware update could eventually bump up the machine into a Profile v2.0 for full BD-Live support, thereby upping the ante once again on the never ending format wars.