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PlayStation 3 firmware 3.00 details

There may not be many hardware changes inside the PS3 Slim, but each new console will ship with the PlayStation 3 3.00 firmware update. Here's what you can expect:

There are a few minor cosmetic changes to the interface and XMB (cross-media bar). Most noteworthy is a new tab under the PlayStation Network icon called "What's New." It will highlight new featured downloadable content, news, etc., and will also be the first thing you see when powering on your PS3.

Firmware 3.00 will also introduce new dynamic theme support. These are much more involved … Read more

Sony officially unveils new Readers, drops price of e-books

After enduring a couple of rumors and leaks that took the lid off its latest e-readers a little earlier than it would have liked, Sony's officially announced the two new models: the Reader Pocket Edition ($199) and Reader Touch Edition ($299), both of which will hit stores at the end of the month. The other big news is Sony is going to match Amazon's e-book pricing, making new releases and best seller titles $9.99 instead of $11.99.

As for specs, here's what you're looking at:

Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300):

5-inch E-ink electronic paper display … Read more

Panasonic home theater systems reviewed: Blu things come in small packages

Although the technology debuted in 2006, for many consumers Blu-ray still feels like brand-new tech. That's why home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems like the Panasonic SC-BT200 and SC-BT300 feel like such an incredible deal--with a street price as low as $450 for the SC-BT200, you get a 7.1 speaker system plus a slimline AV receiver with an integrated Blu-ray player.

The biggest knock against both of the systems we reviewed is that that competing HTIBs offer better streaming media options; both the Samsung HT-BD1250T and LG LHB953 have both Netflix and Pandora streaming, which we prefer to the Panasonic's … Read more

New Sony Readers leaked

A couple of days ago I posted an item on how I'd heard whispers of a new Sony digital reader potentially hitting the market in August. Well, now some images and details of two new Sony Readers, the PRS-300 and PRS-600, have made their way into the blogosphere, thanks to a poster in the Sony Insider boards who simply wrote: "I just found service manuals for 2 unannounced Sony Reader model-the PRS-300 & PRS-600."

The links to the "freshly minted" PDF files have been taken down but Sony Insider preserved the information before it disappeared. (… Read more

Danica's Big Win

While Sarah Fisher was out and about spreading the word last week about the 93rd Indianapolis 500, another Indy woman has also been attracting a lot of attention--Danica Patrick. While Danica is driving tons of Internet traffic from swimsuit shoots and steamy TV commercials, she has also become a savvy self-marketer and top contender in Indy racing. In fact, at this last weekend's Indianapolis 500, Danica finished third, her best showing at the Indy 500 to date.

If she hadn't before, Danica put the racing world on notice and made history when she won her first Indy race … Read more

Travel in style with the Phiaton PS 300 headphones

Phiaton edged its way into the headphone market last year with its MS 400 Moderna Series headphones, an eye-catching set that brought solid sound quality and comfortable construction to the table. Now, with the considerably more portable PS 300 Noise Canceling headphones, the company continues its tradition of sleek design and plush comfort. These on-ear 'phones pack in a slew of travel-friendly accessories and, at $299, cost $50 less than the competition from Bose. However, the set failed to provide great sound quality across a wide variety of music, making it most suitable for only a certain type of listener.… Read more

Sound ID releases two new Bluetooth headsets

Sound ID has just announced two new Bluetooth headsets at CTIA 2009, the Sound ID 300 and the Sound ID 200. We've been quite impressed by Sound ID Bluetooth headsets in the past, especially since they're apparently made with the science of hearing in mind (Sound ID's founder is an otologist at Stanford University). The last Sound ID headset we reviewed was the SM100, which was released almost two years ago, so we're glad to see these new headsets.

Both headsets have Noise Navigation technology that optimizes speech intelligibility and automatically reduces wind and background noise, … Read more