Sony PlayStation Network Finally Back Up, Gamers Rejoice.

Map Showing Where PlayStation Network is Back Up.

     

     Sony's PlayStation Network, Sony's service that allows PlayStation 3 users to play over the internet against each other, had a data breach around April 20th, were an unknown hacker got access to users information, such as address, email address, phone number, username, and possibly passwords. Regarding credit card numbers, Sony said that the data was encrypted, and they do not think that data was stolen. However, Sony has no way of conforming that data was not stolen.

     This serious data breach led Sony to take the PlayStation Network, as well as it's media-streaming counterpart Qriocity, offline, so that they could completely revamp the system and ensure complete security.

     When Sony first announced the fact that PlayStation Network was going offline, they said it would be down for "A full day or two". That day turned into weeks, and now, about 25 days later, the PlayStation Network goes back online (Along with the new job position at Sony, the Chief Information Security Officer.)

     Many gamers are probably rejoicing right now, as there were a few new gaming titles that came out that weren't even playable yet, because they had to be registered with the PlayStation Network. However, gamers in more than %70 percent of the United States are still left out in the cold, because, as of press time, the only states with the PlayStation Network back up are Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and California. 

     It is nice to know that the PlayStation Network is back online somewhere, even if not in your particular part of the world. Users can now rest peacefully knowing that they will be able to play soon again, and that any identity theft will be covered, free of charge, by Sony, with their free year of identity theft protection to all PlayStaton Network users. (Note to hacker: Wait a year before using all of those credit cards.)

UPDATE: Sony has posted a new map showing that the PlayStation Network is online everywhere, at least in North America. To access the PlayStation Network, you must upgrade the firmware on your PlayStation 3 to 3.6.1, as well as change your password. The PlayStation Store features will be down until the end of the month. The PlayStation Network is still down in Europe and Asia.

Game On! Which Mobile Gaming Device is Right for You?

      When you look through the store for a new mobile gaming device, you may see a few options. How do you know which one is the one you should be taking home?
      The two main players in the mobile gaming market are Sony, with it's Playstation Portable, and Nintendo, with it's DS. Both companies have announced a new model of their device which are not out currently. Nintendo's new model will be available March 27, 2011, while Sony's new device's release date is yet to be announced.

NINTENDO DS

      Nintendo's DS is geared towards more casual gamers. Pokemon, Mario, and Zelda work great with this device. There is a Call of Duty game on the DS, but the graphics aren't great, and there aren't many games like it on the DS.
      The DS uses two screens one on each half of the device. The device folds like a typical clamshell laptop. The top screen is usually where most of the action in a game happens, while the bottom screen, a capacitive touchscreen, is where additional data or controls usually go. On the two sides of the bottom screen are the  A,B,X, and Y buttons, while the other side houses the up, down, right, and left buttons.
      The DS is now in it's 4th generation, with the 5th, the 3DS, coming late March. The current model, the DSi XL, measures in at a pretty big 4.2 inches tall, and 6.34 inches across, and weighs about twelve onces.

      At a newly lowered price of $169.99 you get, along with the obvious ability of playing games, a front and rear facing camera (although no videochat), as well as some cool effects to add to your photos. The DSi XL includes a microphone, which, along with being useful for blowing up balloons in Mario Cart, can also be used to record sound clips, which can later be edited on the DS.
     The DS's online features allow for one to download games and add on's from the DSi Ware store. The device also includes a web browser.
     If you want all of the features of the DSi XL, but don't like the big size, the $149.99 DSi is fine.
     The game selection on the DS is pretty big, but is focused on casual games. Nintendo brings some exclusive games to the DS, like Mario and Pokemon.
     The next generation of the DS, the 3DS, is probably worth waiting until late March for. It's the first mobile gaming device with 3D capability. Read my review here for more info.

SONY PLAYSTATION PORTABLE

PSP 3000

     Sony's Playstation Portable, or PSP, is the device for more serious gamers. You'll get great graphics for games like Call of Duty, but casual games are harder to find. 

     The PSP is available in two models, the PSP 3000, and the PSP Go. The 3000 is a device about 6.7 inches across, and 2.7 inches tall. At 6.7 grams, the PSP 3000 is almost half the weight of the DSi XL, making it much more portable. 

     The PSP 3000 uses small CD-like disks for games and movies, but also has support for storing content on a memory card. 

     The front of the PSP 3000 houses the 4.3 inch screen, as well as the legendary Playstation buttons. On the other side of the screen is the up, down, left, and right buttons. A mini joystick can be found right under the directional buttons.

     With the PSP's built in WiFi, you can surf the net, download RSS podcasts, and even download and read comics. The PSP also allows you to remotely play games on your Plastation 3 (a device you hook up to the TV) that's at home.

PSP Go

     The PSP 3000 directly competes with the DSi XL with the MSRP of $169.99. For the same price as the DSi XL, you get more intense graphic capabilities, a built in microphone, a big 4.3 inch screen, and even the ability to make calls using Skype. 

     The PSP Go is almost identical in features to the PSP 3000, the main difference is the fact that you have to download games onto the device, as there is no disk drive. The Go also sports a slide out piece that houses the controls.

     Sony recently announced a new model of the PSP, known as the PSP2. This device sports a touchscreen and some more new features, but no pricing or release date information is available yet.

SURPRISE, THE IPOD TOUCH

     Although most don't think of an iPod as a gaming device, the iPod Touch is close to outselling both the DS and the PSP. The iPod Touch is surprisingly good with games, but almost all of the games on the Touch are aimed at very casual games. 

     The iPod Touch is not only a gaming deice, and also allows you to install other apps to do things like read books, book airline tickets, and manage your calander. 

     See my review of the entire line of iPods for more details on the Touch here.

     Overall, the iPod Touch is great for the very casual gamer who also wants to listen to music, watch movies, and even be productive on their gaming device. For the gamer who wants a device mostly devoted to gaming, but still focusing on more casual games, the DS is a great device. The more extreme gamer should go with the PSP. While he PSP has the ability to play movies and other content, it's much better at gaming, and you'll probably find that that's all you're doing with it.

Apple Pulling other eReader Apps? (Update: Apple Responds)

Gadgetator's trying a new format for the not so tech savvy readers. At the beginning of each post, we will be writing a list of tech jargon and their definitions that one would need to know at the beginning of the article. Like this idea? Hate it? Please leave a comment with your feedback. Thank you.

eReader-An eReader is a device that allows you to read digital books instead of paper ones.

     Sony makes an eReader called the Sony Reader. As with many eReaders, Sony designed an iPhone app that allowed one to read the eBooks that they downloaded from Sony on their iPhone. This app was rejected by Apple for some unknown reason. 

     Apps are rejected all the time by Apple, but it's always because of a violation of one of Apple's rules. So far the Kindle, the Nook, and many more eReaders have apps on the iPhone that weren't rejected. This could simply be because the Sony app had some problem with the code that went against Apple's rules. It could also be that Apple has changed it's policy and is now not allowing third party eReader apps.

     Apple also has an eReader app called iBooks, which is the reason why one would think that Apple is rejecting other, third party eReader apps, and even may start to pull the old ones.

     According to the New York Times, Apple is changing their policies to no longer allow third party apps to sell content, like eBooks, inside their apps. Now, if you're worrying about games like Farmville, which allows you to buy coins from inside the app for the game, that's nothing to worry about, this does not stop app developers to sell through their apps, rather just requires them to use Apple as an intermediary. 

     The story seems true, as Sony spokesperson Steve Harber is quoted, "“It’s the opposite of what we wanted to bring to the market, we always wanted to bring the content to as many devices as possible, not one device to one store.”

     So what does this mean for other eReader apps? Although the other apps don't have an integrated bookstore, they do allow users to download already purchased content from other devices, something which, according to the New York Times, Apple said was against the rules. This would affect Amazon with it's Kindle and many other popular eBook apps. 

     For now, we'll just have to see what happens. The story seems very believable, and neither Apple, Sony, or Amazon would comment.


UPDATE: Apple responded saying that they had not changed any developer guidelines, but wants a cut of anything sold through their devices.