PSP Slim and Lite on your TV! (The TV OUT feature)

A really fantastic thing I like about the Sony PSP Slim and Lite is that it has a TV Out feature, allowing users to plug the PSP into a TV and see everything on a big screen. A PSP Slim and Lite component cable is required to do this and it's a bit hard to find.



WIth this feature, you can transfer games from the small PSP screen to a big screen TV. There’s no lag nor any drop in quality once the image reaches the TV. The games don’t output full screen, but it’s still certainly big enough to see what you’re doing from a distance. On the other hand, if you slide in a UMD movie, the display fills the screen while looking just as good as it does on the PSP. This is perfect if you have a new PSP Slim and Lite, but still crave to get your big screen gaming fix, then this is well worth the money (and the search!).

Photos: The component cable and the TV Out Port

I have read some news, however that those who has standard definition TVs said that the movie UMD playback works just fine, while game UMDs don't, because the respective TV set does not support progressive scan. The composite cable capable of playing back all PSP content - whether games or media and is on top fully compatible to all kinds of TV systems including TFT, plasma, and even older CRT. The issue is with the progressive scan, and that has nothing to do with any cable.

But what the heck? The PSP Slim and Lite is a handheld--why would you desperately want to connect it to the TV set?

iPod Touch - Full of Disappointments?

I was happy to know that there's a new iPod version but I have heard so many complaints from people who have bought it. The new iPod Touch is a little confusing (I myself got confused at first!). It looks just like an iPhone, but it's not a phone and it doesn't have other iPhone features (such as a camera and Bluetooth). It doesn't look nor acts anything like a traditional iPod, (which I thought was cool anyway) but offers only a tenth the capacity of a similar-sized iPod Classic. One of the most confusing part is the iPod Touch's wireless feature. The WiFi provides Web access via a special version of Safari and a YouTube application, but there is no email feature. Of course we can acces iTunes.

The iPod Touch has a glossy, black face, just like the iPhone, but it has a shiny chrome back instead of the iPhone's softer brushed surface. The iPod Touch is surprisingly heavy for its size - presumably due to use of glass for the display and dense packaging internally but it's thinner than iPhone. Like the iPhone, the iPod Touch provides a 480-by-320-pixel screen that makes photos, videos and interface elements look very good. If you have an iPhone, there's little reason to get an iPod Touch, which offers far less at a similar price minus the phone bill.

If you have some cash to spare (and you don't have an iPhone yet), you should probably run out and buy an iPod Touch. It's fun to experience its innovation and explore its capabilities.

Technical Specifications:

• Storage/Capacity: 8GB or 16GB
• Battery life: Up to 22 hours of music playback; up to 5 hours of video playback
• Display: 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
• Ports: Dock connector, stereo minijack
• Connectivity: USB through dock connector; component and composite video through dock connector (with AV cables or kit, sold separately); audio through headphone jack
• Wireless data: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
• Charge time: About 3 hours (1.5-hour fast charge to 80% capacity)
• Size: 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.31 inches (110 x 61.8 x 8 mm)
• Weight: 4.2 ounces (120 grams)
• Included accessories: Earphones, USB cable, dock adapter, polishing cloth, stand

PSP Slim and Lite - Is it better?

The PSP Slim and Lite is the redesigned version of the popular Sony PlayStation Portable handheld. There were many rumors about a new version of the Sony PSP and as everyone expected Sony Computer Entertainment America announced the PSP Slim and Lite during their press conference in Santa Monica. The official name of this new revamped PSP is PSP Slim and Lite. It has a new enamel coated finish to prevent scratches and smudges (yipee!).


Here’s a list of the important new features of the PSP Slim and Lite:

• Internal Memory (RAM) has been increased from 32 MB to 64 MB, so more space for savegames
• Wi-Fi Connection is better, the Wi-Fi Connection switch has been moved to the top of the handheld
• UMD games and movies load faster because the PSP stores UMD data in its temporary memory
• A better battery pack and the battery now recharges via USB data connection as well. The old PSP battery pack is still usable as well but the battery cover can’t be closed when using this old battery
• A video-out port (yipee!) with composite cable for hooking your Sony PSP Slim and Lite up to your TV
• The handheld has been reduced by 33%
• The PSP Slim and Lite is 19% narrower, slimmer in thickness
• The D-pad has been improved, it’s more like the PS3 SixAxis controller’s D-pad
• Memory Stick slot has been relocated
• The infra-red port has been removed
• Speakers have been repositioned on the front of the PSP near the screen
• Better UMD Loading tray, easier to use

Let's wait a few months and see if this new, lighter version is as good as the original PSP.

Sony PSP - The Best Console Ever!

The Sony PSP is a stylish portable gaming system highlighted by an extraordinary wide-screen display and PS2-like graphics. It also boasts built-in Wi-Fi, a Web browser, and the ability to play music and videos, as well as to store images.

The Sony PSP's multimedia functionality is disappointing, especially for video, because it requires expensive memory cards. The load times on the UMD games can be excessive too.



From an aesthetic perspective, the Sony PSP is a stunning device. The PSP's screen is roughly the same size as the entire front face of the iPod. The centerpiece of the handheld is its especially remarkable 4.3-inch wide-screen display (480x272 pixels, 16.77 million colors).

Since the device has a glossy finish--and is mostly black--it's a fingerprint magnet. A static-free cloth should always be at the ready when using your PSP (the Value Pack had one bundled anyway). Sony's official carrying case is a padded soft case, but a variety of third-party versions are also available.

PSP Product Specifications

• Product Name: PlayStation Portable (PSP)
• Color: Black
• Dimensions: Approx. 170 mm (L) x 74 mm (W) x 23 mm (D)
• Weight: Approx. 260 g (including battery)
• CPU: PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1~333MHz)
• Main Memory: 32MB
• Embedded DRAM: 4MB
• Display: 4.3 inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD, 480 x 272 pixel (16.77 million colors), Max. 200 cd/m2 (with brightness control)
• Speakers: Built-in stereo speakers
• Main Input/Output: IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi), USB 2.0 (Target), Memory Stick™ PRO Duo, IrDA, IR Remote (SIRCS)
• Disc Drive: UMD Drive (Playback only)
• Profile: PSP Game, UMD Audio, UMD Video
• Main Connectors: DC OUT 5V, Terminals for charging built-in battery, Headphone/Microphone/Control connector
• Keys/Switches: Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)Analog pad, Enter keys (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), Left, Right keys START, SELECT, HOME, POWER On/Hold/Off switch, Brightness control, Sound Mode, Volume +/-, Wireless LAN On/Off switch, UMD Eject
• Power: Built-in lithium-ion battery, AC adaptor
• Access Control: Region Code, Parental Control
• Accessories: Stand, Headphone with remote commander, Headphone with remote commander and microphone, External battery pack, Case, Strap
• E3 Prototype Exhibition: USB Camera for PSP, USB GPS for PSP, USB Keyboard for PSP

UMD Specifications

• Dimensions: Approx. 65 mm (W) x 64 mm (D) x 4.2 mm (H)
• Weight: Approx. 10g
• Disc Diameter: 60 mm
• Maximum Capacity: 1.8GB (Single-sided, dual layer)
• Laser wavelength: 660nm (Red laser)
• Encryption: AES 128bit
• Profile: PSP Game (full function), UMD Audio (codec ATRAC3plus™, PCM, (MPEG4 AVC)), UMD Video (codec MPEG4 AVC, ATRAC3plus™, Caption PNG)

Apple Lowers iPhone Price

Apple lowered the iPhone's price on September 5 and also said it would stop selling the $499 4-gigabyte model. The company said they were lowering the iPhone price to attract more customers, in time for the holiday season. They reduced the price of the 8-gigabyte iPhone by a third, from $599 to $399, within two months of the gadget's June debut. Hundreds of early customers who paid the initial full price didn't expect a reduction so soon and complained.



In the efforts of Apple to make all of their customers happy, they issued an apology the next day. Under its return policy, Apple refunded the $200 difference for those who bought the phone within 14 days of the reduction.

The company offered a $100 credit at Apple stores for those who purchased the higher-priced phone before that period. The credit would be available for people who bought either the $599 8-gigabyte iPhones or the $499, 4-gigabyte model before August 22. People who bought the phones more recently are eligible for refunds. The retail or online store credit will be delivered to them electronically by filling out a form on Apple's Web site. The deadline for people who purchased iPhones between August 22 and September 4 to submit refund claims is September 19.

Apple Inc. sold its millionth i Phone days after its price slash.