The second has the previously announced and more respectable, 60GB hard disk and will also offer Wi-Fi functionality. The ‘premium’ model will also offer slots for memory sticks, SD cards and compact flash cards and have a more extensive range of ports. Though less than expected and demo’d at last years E3, the ‘premium’ PS3 will have one HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port, 4 USB and one Ethernet ports. Clearly this is the model to go for when considering linking up to your brand spanking new High Def TV, HDMI offers considerably more bandwidth with its uncompressed digital signal than more traditional cables, though the omission of a second port is a disappointment.

It appears Sony has bowed to the negative opinion and the rumours about a redesign of the ‘boomerang’ controller are actually true. The controller now more resembles the current PS2 controller with actual triggers as the R2 and L2 buttons and will connect to the system using Bluetooth. The biggest interest will be in the motion sensors introduced to the controller in place of the rumble packs found in the PS2 pads. According to GamesIndustry.biz,

” The controller will sport a ’six-axis sensing system’ according to Sony – three for roll, pitch and yaw, and three for 3 dimension acceleration information along the X, Y and Z axes.”

Pricing has been announced as $499 / Euro 499 (c. £342 at current exchange rates) for the 20GB model and $599 / Euro 599 (c. £411) for the 60GB premium PS3. Realistically here in the UK we are gonna be looking at £349 for the basic model and £419 for the 60GB though that sub £400 barrier would be ideal. While this appears a lot of money for a games console, (its likely to be at least twice the price of the Nintendo Wii (Revolution) and over £100 more than the Xbox 360)  lets not forget we are getting a Blu-Ray drive with both systems.

The system will be launched in Japan on November 11th 2006, closely followed by a simultaneous US and Europe launch on November 17th (Still in the launch window so still a simultaneous world-wide launch, eh? J Allard?).

Though the E3 Keynote speech by Sony appeared rushed, badly organised and left many viewers feeling a little cold, this has certainly got me excited. The thought of Metal Gear 4, GT4, GTA 4 and Heavenly Sword, honestly has me salivating. Regardless of the price – it be will worth the wait!

Check out the MGS 4 preview here.

It might be worth all you gamers from holding fire just yet though. Michael over at Binary Bonsai has got the system up and running on his Mac Mini and as suspected this clearly isn’t gonna be the Mac gaming rig of choice. Early reports on the iMac are proving to be much better and when the video drivers are optimised results are likely to be much improved.

Interestingly, hot on the heels of Apple’s announcement though, the ‘get Linux running on everything’ community very quickly established that the first few stages of a Linux installation were possible. A complete install can not be far away, though the specific drivers are not thought to be available for a complete install at this stage.

Well the joystick unit was well and truly shot and this left me with a problem. I completely dismantled the joystick and decided it wasn’t worth trying to fix as the guts had completely fractured. No worries I’d get a replacement and just use the D-pad till I could find another unit. I put the unit back together minus the joystick and taped over the hole to prevent dust getting inside. I fired it up to discover not having anything where the joystick was caused the web browser and all games to mysteriously pull down and to the left. One useless PSP!

I found out what my options were; I could send it away in the UK and get it repaired for £40 which seemed like a rip off (I had already done the hard part and taken the thing apart through trial and error) or get a replacement unit from a supplier in Hong Kong. Thinking it might be a couple of weeks till I was gaming again I plumped for the replacement only for it not to arrive and several emails and 3 months later for me to give up trying! As luck would have it, I managed to find a second hand one in full working order and it arrived today. After three months of portable gaming misery, I am up and running again and am guessing I won’t be the last to have to do this.

Disclaimer: Opening up your PSP will void your warranty! The following guide is meant to be informative and I accept no blame for any damage caused to your PSP if you decide to follow this ‘How To’.

1. Removing the Cover

You will need a small ‘Phillips’ (cross) screwdriver and ideally an anti static dust brush (available at PC stores) to replace your joystick on your PSP. Removing the cover of your PSP involves removing 5 small screws and the first three are fairly obvious. On the back of your case with the top facing away from you there are two screw holes, one toward the bottom of the case and one at the top right hand corner beneath the ‘L’ shoulder button. Next up, on the bottom of the PSP is a little silver screw that keep the front cover attached. Unscrew each of these and keep them somewhere safe.

Removing the battery reveals a couple more screws and one or two that are hidden. The screws that we need to remove are the left hand black one and there is one in the bottom left hand corner underneath the sticker. Be warned though this is a dead give away that the warranty is voided when this sticker has been tampered with. Rather than trying to peal this off simply locate the screw using the screwdriver and remove as indicated by the picture below.

Flip the PSP back over and if necessary remove the stick by prying it upwards with a screwdriver though it should just pull upwards. The PSP cover should now pry apart, taking care not to touch the screen and internals of the PSP.

2. Removing the Joystick

After removing the PSP cover, turn the system over revealing the under side of the buttons. There are two screws holding the joystick unit in place and these also need to be removed to free the unit. The joystick can now be removed and replaced with the new unit remembering to remove the stick beforehand. Make certain the ‘washer’ is in place when you install the unit and then replace the two screws, ensuring the joystick is secure.

3. Reassemble

It’s a good idea at this stage to remove any specs of dust or debris with the brush that may have landed of the screen or underside of the cover. Then carefully replace the cover and replace the screws that were removed in stage one of the process. Good luck.

Give me a shout if you’ve got any questions, I’ll do my best to help!

First up, when I built my current PC I made a positive decision about going for Intel on the bases I can stick with on board graphics thus allowing myself to drop in a PCI-E card if I wanted. The intention was good, by not having the ability to play games, I would be productive (which I have been) and still have a quick PC that is a pleasure to user with Photoshop etc. The trouble is its been probably been three / fours years since I played UT and to a lesser extent Quake III with any real conviction or intensity and I began to get the cravings.

One (middle of the road / entry level, value for money) graphics card later, an ATI Radeon X800 GTO, and a weekend where I don’t think I saw daylight, it almost feels as though I haven’t been away!

Time for the games and hell, things have improved.

Quake IV – Like an old school action movie from the 80’s, Quake IV is a sheer adrenaline filled strogg-fest (bad pun). Seriously entertaining in my opinion and desperately under rated by the gaming community, this does what you’d expect really well. There is a reason why the money in professional gaming is in this game, its simply the best pure shooter out there and tremendously entertaining to boot.

F.E.A.R – Really slick, graphically intensive FPS that while the setting is a bit clichéd, really does send a shiver down your spine. To say that I was reluctant to get sucked into this as a feasible genre is an understatement. But they have proved that FPS/Horror works when done well. This is incredible!

FarCry – Considering this is the oldest of the four, it still looks stunning in every aspect. Must have been absolutely stunning when this came out. Though I have played this the least out of the four I can’t wait to come back to it!

Call of Duty 2 – Having not played the first, I was hesitant about this. How good could a historically accurate (ish) game based 60+ years ago could be? Well, the first level sums it all up! A sheer mind blowing experience that really makes you feel as though your on the front line. Seeing the gunfire raging over your head as you duck behind ridges, gradually making your way forward as you and your squaddies advance is undeniably entertaining.

I am sure I have missed some gems but to be quite honest when I have made my way through these and Battlefield 2 (next on the list) I think I’ll be ready to go quietly back to CSS and Dreamweaver!

"Also featuring brighter screens, Nintendo DS Lite will launch in Japan in March. Nintendo DS Lite will be less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter."

Dimensions found on the Nintendo Japan site confirm that it is the depth taking the biggest cut (2/3s) with 133mm (L) x 73.9mm (W) x 21.5mm (D) dimensions compared with the current models 149 mm (L) x 85 mm (W) x 29 mm (D).

All I can say is WOW! The bulk of the original was the main thing putting me off paying for what is, without doubt one of the most innovative things to happen to gaming in recent years. This looks really slick though and is much more my kind of thing, really competing aesthetically with my PSP its gonna be hard to resist. Bring on the Mario Kart battles!

With an estimated advertising budget in the billions ($US), Microsoft is gearing up for a big 2006 and with the release of their next operating system, Windows Vista. Closely followed by a Vista based update to their Media Centre operating system, it’s thought to have built in support for CableCard which will eliminate the need for the box that the cable or satellite company provides. This must be make or break time for Microsoft in a market they haven’t managed to dominate like their desktop equivalent despite various revisions of their Windows Media Center Edition. Due to a number of reasons such as purchasing restrictions with a new PC, high quality open source equivalents such as the Linux based ‘Myth TV’ and perhaps the market just not being ready this lack of success has left the door wide open for a consumer conscious company to make its mark.

Enter Apple, with the Mac and Ipod creator making the gradual switch to Intel in the coming year, a move into our living rooms seems a logical step for them to make. Having an infrastructure already in place with ITunes, a move to Video seems inevitable and Apple certainly seems well poised to make the transition. Further in collaboration with Intel amongst other electronics giants, Apple are developing a new interface for video between computers and HD TV’s and our PC screens that further fuels the speculation. In the Mac Mini there is an established system available and combined with Front Row they already have half a step into our living rooms.

The eagerly awaited Macworld Expo that takes place from the 9th – 13th January 2006 in San Francisco should have many of the answers. Steve Job’s keynote speech traditionally makes public many of Apples plans for the coming year and its unlikely that the pundits have all the answers. Could the Ipod mobile phone be revealed? More likely is a further developed Ipod, with bigger widescreen display matching or exceeding that of the PSP, Wi-Fi access and it being actually branded the ‘Ipod Video’. What ever the outcome its one hell of an exciting time to be sat enjoying the show!

Roll on 2006!

In my opinion, these are the 10 best podcasts from 2005. If you think I have missed any podcasts that should have made it into this best of 2005 let me know!

Diggnation w/Kevin Rose & Alex Albrecht subscribe to audio feed

“Diggnation is a weekly tech/web culture show based on the top digg.com social bookmarking news stories.”

With the meteoric rise of Digg.com this year this accompanying podcast has got to be a surprise success of 2005. The popularity is due in part to a great combination fronting the show. Kevin and Alex, of TechTV and The Broken fame, have a dynamic rapport and have created a witty and entertaining podcast also available in video format.

ExtremeTech.com Podcast  

“News, reviews and technology updates from ExtremeTech.com.”

All the latest high end tech products reviewed for the business and home. Quality informed discussion on the current technologies for the enthuisiast.

GameSpot presents The HotSpot  

"GameSpot editors recap the hottest news and trend in the gaming industry from the past week!”

Quality reviews and production values from the Gamespot crew covering all the headline gaming events, launches and news.

PC Gamer Podcast GamersDaily  

“The official podcast of PC Gamer Magazine”

Hardcore PC gaming through and through, these guys a passionate about their PC gaming.

The Web 2.0 Show  

“We are a podcast about the “new” web. We interview web service developers as we try to gain insight to their thought processes.”

Chris Saylor and Josh Owens have come out of nowhere with ‘The Web 2.0 Show’ to pull in some of the biggest names in the Web at the moment for some really fascinating interviews. Aimed at the “new web” as they put it, the shows indirectly cover some of big news events from the inside point of view. From the likes of Jason Calacanis of Weblogs Inc and Om Malik to name but a few, they’re relaxed style and well thought out questions makes for a quality show.

Boagworld.com  

“This podcast covers all things relating to web design. Whether you are a website owner, designer or developer hopefully this show has something for everybody. Each episode includes news, review and hints and tips.”

British podcasting at its best, Boagworld is the brainchild of Paul Boag and is a podcast that manages to be entertaining and informative in the world of web design. A web design/ accessibility specialist in the same mould as Zeldman, Paul is joined by Marcus Lillington a colleague from their Web Design agency from which they take their practical knowledge and experience share with the world.

This WEEK in TECH  

“Your first podcast of the week is the last word in tech. Join Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose, John C. Dvorak, and other tech luminaries in a roundtable discussion of the latest trends in digital technology. Winner of the 2005 People’s Choice Podcast Award for best overall podcast and Best Technology Podcast. Released every Sunday at midnight Pacific.”

One of the big hitters, This Week in Tech could possibly be regarded as the Slashdot of the podcasting world. TWiT, with Leo Laporte, is slickly produced, topical and regularlt has top guest spots from the world of technology and the web. This is quite rightly one of the most downloaded podcasts available.

Engadget Podcast  

“Engadget’s up to the second coverage of consumer electronics and technology.”

The Engadget team making your gadget porn audible, with current news opinion and reviews.

The Mac Cast  

"A Macintosh show for Mac geeks by a Mac geek. News, reviews, opinions and commentary about all things Macintosh. The MacCast also offers Mac help via email and a call in Hotline.”

All the Mac news and opinion well served in the best Mac podcast out there?

GamersDaily  

“Daily Gaming Podcast and Free Video Reviews of Games”

RubbaD, Cycon, Cyborg, TopaZ and Agent J make up another entertaining podcast that has now been going for a lot longer than anyone probably expected. Made up of mostly teenage (?) guest speakers these guys make up for in enthusiasm what they lack for in age and are true gamers in every sense of the word. While not quite daily they regularly cover independent games and often rightly give as much coverage to a quality Russian top down shooter as the latest EA blockbuster.

Update: Thanks everyone for commenting.

RT, Sprog and Matt, gave a big heads up to Command N and rightly so, it is a quality show and deserves its place amongst the list. I was trying to make the distinction between podcasts and their video (or vidcast) brethren though as 2005 has really been the year of the audio podcast. 2006 will inevitably will be when many of the more popular podcasts, budget permitting, make that transistion into video and I am looking forward to it. With Apple’s Ipod with Video joining the Sony PSP and the maturing 3G technologies, this next year there’s gonna be a whole lot more to come for the portable video market.

It appears all our juvenile hopes have come true, well nearly all! Mario Kart DS is a winner and it now looks as though I am gonna have to buy a DS now as well.

Even if it’s about three weeks after the US launch and a good week after the UK, I’ve just started playing GTA:LCS and first impressions are really good.

Every bit of tech, format or device needs a ‘killer app’ and the PSP as advanced as it is, is no different. This aint no shrunk down baby GTA, this is (appears) to be the real deal. The graphics appear to be real slick and the gameplay is really refined. This could have been just another PS2 port with soul destroying load times (Midnight Club 3 anyone?) but Rockstar appears to have gone to town and done the business on this one. (You can tell its the festive build up, GTA for the PSP and Mario Kart for the DS)

I think the PSP’s ‘killer app’ may have just arrived!

I hope this will turn into a review for LCS but this really depends on whether I can tear myself away for long enough.