Just a tad ahead of schedules — perhaps as a macabre assurance this isn’t some April 1st joke — firmware 3.21 for the PS3 is now being seeded to anyone who tries to log onto the PlayStation Network. As far as we can tell, all the update seems to do is remove the “install other OS” option and kill access to anyone who does have another platform dual-booted. Just a friendly reminder, if you fall into that category, be sure to either backup your partition or wait for Geohot to find a workaround.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PS3 firmware 3.21 is out: say goodbye to ‘install other OS’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It looks like AT&T will start taking delivery tomorrow of Pre Plus units that are being specifically designated as high-security, SKU-less “practice devices” that are only to be used off the sales floor for training purposes, though when training is complete, they can be moved to a live store display. That certainly lends weight to a launch happening sooner rather than later, counter to rumors earlier in the month that we might not see them on shelves until the peak of Summer. Of course, we don’t know how long the training sessions are going to run — our leak here gives no indication of that, nor of a retail release date — but considering that we first saw this form factor back in January of ’09, it’s seriously in everyone’s best interest to fast-track these. Our fingers are crossed.
[Thanks, Eric L.]
AT&T getting ‘practice’ Pre Pluses tomorrow? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve been hearing whispers about a Hulu app for the iPad since the day Apple’s tablet was announced, and things are starting to pick up steam: the New York Times says four different people familiar with Hulu’s plans have said the app is coming, and that it will potentially require a subscription fee. That either makes a lot of sense (if you’re a TV network exec looking to keep the Aston padding on your paycheck) or absolutely none at all (if you’re everyone else), but it certainly seems like it’s happening — especially since Hulu CEO Jason Kilar told the Times that he’s “open to subscriptions as a complement to the ad-supported model.” That’s as close to a confirmation as we’ve ever heard, but we’ve got a feeling Apple’s putting the full-court press on Hulu and other networks like CBS — we’d expect to see this go from rumor to reality relatively soon.
NYT: Hulu planning iPad app, might be subscription based originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Poor Phil Dunphy — it might look like his life is an attractive and blissful TV family idyll, but all the man really wants is an iPad for his birthday. And all ABC really wants is a fat wad of product placement green. Video after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Screen Grabs: Phil Dunphy gets an iPad
Screen Grabs: Phil Dunphy gets an iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oh, what a gloomy morning it’s been in London, but that didn’t stop Electricpig from attending Acer’s UK launch event for its voguish Aspire Ethos and power-sipping TimelineX laptops. The Ethos 8943G, pictured above, is described as a more affordable alternative (at “half the price”) to the ASUS NX90, packing a touchscreen-like trackpad for media control, a sturdy chiclet keyboard and an 18.4-inch full HD screen with decent viewing angle. As for the TimelineX trio, Electricpig praises the brushed aluminum lids and the grip on the closed 13.3-inch model, but the meat lies in the 12-hour battery life — this is the same as the previous line-up, even though WiFi usage is included and the CPUs are now more powerful. If you fancy something more portable, word has it that the 11.6-inch TimelineX 1830T — a no-show today — will be out towards the end of June, otherwise the TimelineX trio can be yours from £599.99 ($909) in May, and the Ethos for £1,099.99 ($1,666) in June. Until then, gorge yourselves on the photos at the source links.
Acer Aspire Ethos 8943G and TimelineX 3820T, 4820T, 5820T get hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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It’s a fantasy come true for the avid nerd / traveler, but unfortunately for us, it’s but a concept in its current form. Syracuse’s own Rahul Mahtani and Yofred Moik have dreamed up Google Envelopes, and if brought to production, this might just make the USPS as relevant as it was during the heyday known as 1985. Put simply, the solution would involve a new ‘Send Envelope’ method of passing along a note penned in Gmail; when pressed, you’d get a printout of the message along with a specially crafted envelope, the latter of which really makes this idea shine. The envelope itself would be a Google Maps representation of the quickest route to transfer said message from you to the recipient if roadways and kayaks were used in place of fiber and coax, giving the receiver a crucially awesome keepsake each time you dropped him or her a line. Oh, and having an ‘Avoid Tolls’ option would just totally put it over the top — even if were relegated to beta.
[Thanks, Yofred]
Google Envelopes turns Gmail into snail mail, wraps it in precisely routed Maps printout originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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