Gizmo Blog

An “updated firmware” is something you have to make a living. Something robust, and also any new everything beautiful. Yes, but now, some recent updates have been rather difficult. The latest firmware date is no longer a nice gift to download from a nice equipment manufacturer: On many handsets, install an updated firmware has even become a true course.

Many manufacturers such as Apple, Nintendo or Sony make updates firmware that neutralize features for commercial reasons or out of baclees versions that make products less efficient. And if we did a small review of updates that were not particularly pleased the owners gadgets lately? The Sony PSP: an important and dynamic community has emerged around the Sony PSP, offering alternative firmwares with new features such as support for a greater range of codecs or the ability to share music. Oh, and, um, there is also this little story pirated games en masse.

Sony has released several updates-no fewer than six in 2006 and 2007 - cutting the grass under the feet of young thieves, but it has collateral effect of discouraging more creative and less pirateurs the homebrew community. This has led some users to want downgrader or find a firmware earlier. Sony then made it more difficult downgrade, the case turning the small guéguerre with its own customers. Intention to harm: High. This is a deliberate attempt to resume the hand of an exclusive.

Invensense, one of two companies which sold its technology to Nintendo for the extension of Wiimote MotionPlus, has declared that their agreement with Nintendo is NOT exclusive, and they respond to requests for other companies. A person of the company explains: “I can not give details about the other guys who are interested in technology, but as you can imagine others are obviously concerned”. The other company is AiLive, and it has not indicated to have transferred the license its technology to other companies. So involved in all this?

First, non-exclusive leaves a window of opportunity for Microsoft or Sony s’engrouffer into the breach endorsing a license for the same technology and propose something as well as accessory MotionPlus. That said, insofar as Nintendo has done two companies collaborate on the subject, it will perhaps not so simple.

Satoru Iwata president of Nintendo the man who does not want to lower the price of the Wii said they want the Wii MotionPlus is the cheapest possible sale to the extent it does not cost too dear manufacture.

No dear to what extent? We do not yet know exactly. We have delivered a few calculations, and if the MotionPlus costs 15 $ (10 €), it will put the Wii between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in terms of price “total”. But do you have to buy one?

Mr. Iwata: There will be games that will be enhanced by the Wii MotionPlus and games that could be played with it. Users will be four if they have four controllers, but we’ll make sure to offer the cheapest possible. We have not yet submitted price, but the cost of producing the Wii MotionPlus is not excessive, so we think we can make it really affordable ..

Perhaps although yes, maybe not. It depends on the games you play, and if you play only Wii Sports and Wii Play, you do not need extensions for your Wiimote.

Interested in a rumour on Friday? Fasten your seatbelts.  We believe that the timing of launching a new product will depend on the sales curves of the DS, and we believe that sales of DS worse than expected could trigger the premature launch of a new console. Sales of DS are good globally, but weak in Japan, so we suggest that a new console could be launched in Japan before the end of the year.

We believe that Nintendo has a new console ready to be launched [Japan] before the end of the calendar year. We do not know if this will be the DS 2, but it is the most likely scenario, especially since the concept of DS touch works quite well. But it could also be a device that combines the DS with another aircraft. Or maybe that Michael has eaten too many magic mushrooms with his omelet and that his predictions are completely crazy.

The iBird Flight Simulator was by far the most creative demo of Microsoft Research Summit yesterday. Developed in collaboration with the University of New York, he works with a USB controller connected to two ropes shrink to detect your movements in 3D. The iBird returns this information simulator that projects a 3D world in which you are a bird that flutters.

The coolest is without doubt the use of fans connected to the computer, which increase or reduce the apparent wind depending on the speed at which you want. You get a feeling of air resistance during your flight. Ilia Rosenberg, a leading student of the NYU behind this project, explained that they had tried to use Wiimote, but they did not have this feeling of force feedback that allows their USB controller. Ilia Rosenberg, a leading student of the NYU behind this project, explained that they had tried to use Wiimote, but they did not have this feeling of force feedback that allows their USB controller.