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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Sony PS3 boss: 'No turning back' despite hacks (AP) : Technet

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Sony PS3 boss: 'No turning back' despite hacks (AP) : Technet

Sony PS3 boss: 'No turning back' despite hacks (AP)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT

By RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer Ryan Nakashima, Ap Business Writer – Tue Jun 7, 2:27 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The head of the Sony Corp. unit that makes the PlayStation 3 game console says there's no going back on a push to offer always-connected play despite a series of hacking attacks that downed its network and will cost the Japanese company around $173 million in special costs.

Kazuo Hirai, group chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., told The Associated Press that connectivity is central to the PlayStation experience.

His comments, in an interview late Monday, came after he introduced Sony's latest handheld gaming device, the PlayStation Vita, which can use cellphone and Wi-Fi coverage and allows players to compete directly with PlayStation 3 users at home. Sony also plans to bring PlayStation games to smartphones that run on Google Inc.'s Android operating system.

"There's no turning back on the use of networks in the interactive experience that we want to bring to our customers," he said. "Just like you can't imagine having a PC that's not connected, I really can't imagine a console that is not able to connect to the networks and do online game play."

Sony has estimated that a series of hacks will cost it 14 billion yen ($173 million), racked up to pay for increased customer support, freebie packages to welcome back customers, legal costs, lower sales and measures to beef up security.

The biggest breach occurred in mid-April, when hackers compromised the security of 100 million credit card-backed accounts on the PlayStation Network. Sony shut down the network while it rebuilt the infrastructure, and began restoring service last month. On Monday it said network activity was back to 90 percent of pre-attack levels.

Last week, a group called LulzSec broke into Sony Pictures' website, stole about a million customer logins and passwords in what it said was an elementary attack designed to highlight Sony's "disgraceful" security.

Hirai said the series of attacks were a "wake-up call" but pointed out that other companies, from rival Nintendo Co. to an FBI partner organization, have also been targeted.

"This is not just a Sony issue, but it's an issue for all companies that work in online activities, which in this day and age, is really most companies," he said. "So I think it's a wake-up call, certainly for Sony, but I think a wake-up call for everyone."

Nintendo debuts touchscreen Wii successor (AP)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 04:16 PM PDT

By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang, Ap Entertainment Writer – Tue Jun 7, 7:16 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Nintendo has introduced the world to the Wii's touchy new big brother: the Wii U.

The Japanese gaming giant on Tuesday unveiled the Wii video game console's successor, which will broadcast high-definition video and feature a touchscreen controller that can detect motion and interact with what appears on a television display.

"Up until now, home console games had to occupy the TV screen in order to be played," said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. "The new controller for Wii U, with its 6.2-inch screen built in, means you won't need to give up your gameplay when someone else comes in the room and wants to watch a TV program."

The white touchscreen controller, reminiscent of Apple Inc.'s iPad and other tablet computers, can broadcast standard-definition video but also features a directional pad, microphone, dual analog sticks, speakers, two pairs of shoulder buttons and a front-facing camera, which can be used to make video calls.

The console itself will use proprietary high-definition optical discs, 1080p HDMI output and internal memory that can be upgraded with USB and SD technology. No other technical specifications were provided.

The prototype controller was demonstrated during the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry's annual convention, in several ways: displaying a player's inventory in a "Legend of Zelda" game, offering an alternative way to play a chasing game, being used as a shield from incoming attacks in a first-person shooter game and showing the image of a teed-up golf ball on the ground before it was struck to a putting green depicted on a TV.

The controller was also shown being used to browse the Internet both on a TV and the controller. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America president, noted that the touchscreen controller is not meant to be a portable gaming device and that the system is dubbed the Wii U because its "unique, unifying and maybe even utopian."

Nintendo said the Wii U will be released between April and December next year and will be backward-compatible with Wii games and controllers.

"Smash Brothers," "Darksiders II," "Batman: Arkham City," "Tekken," "Assassin's Creed" and "Metro: Last Light" were among the titles announced that would be released for the system.

The price for Wii U was not revealed.

The unveiling of the Wii U comes after two years of slumping sales for Nintendo's Wii, which remains the overall top-selling home video game console against Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3. Those consoles already feature high-definition graphics and added motion-sensing capabilities similar to the Wii last year with their respective Kinect and Move camera systems.

___

Online:

http://e3.nintendo.com/

E3 2011: Hands-on with Nintendo’s new Wii U motion gaming controller (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:24 PM PDT

By Taylor Hatmaker taylor Hatmaker – 1 hr 54 mins ago

This morning, Nintendo announced the next generation of the Wii gaming console — or at least part of it! We were naturally anxious to get our hands on Nintendo's latest and greatest device, known as the Wii U. The Wii U will tie into Nintendo's next full Wii console, due out in 2012. While details were scarce about the follow up to the Wii itself, the new Wii U controller expands motion gaming in a decidedly unpredictable way: it packs a 6.2" screen.

The screen is the most out-of-left-field feature we've seen on a controller to date, but beyond that, the Wii U controller sports dual analog controls, shoulder buttons, and all the trappings of a more traditional controller, not to mention a gyroscope and an accelerometer that track its movement.

The Wii U controller is very light considering it's essentially a scaled down tablet, though holding it aloft for extended gaming sessions might change our tune. We can't wait to see what else Nintendo has in store for its vision of a very visual motion gaming experience — if you're curious too enjoy the Wii U photos and video below.

More from Tecca:

Talk-o-Meter gauges who dominates a conversation, improves social lives (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:27 PM PDT

By Tecca tecca – 2 hrs 51 mins ago

Ever had a conversation where you needed to fight to get a word in edgewise? And then when you complain about it, people look at you like you're crazy. It sure would be handy if you could find a way to prove a rude counterpart is dominating the conversation, leaving you no room to interject or talk at all. Good news, there's hope on the horizon.

The Talk-o-Meter app for iPhone measures how often someone speaks during a conversation. After taking a short time to calibrate itself to the sound of each person's voice, the app then keeps careful track of who's talking. The display shows you how often the app hears each voice as a percentage of the total conversation. Right now, the Talk-o-Meter only works for two people at a time, so you'll probably get more use out of it around the house than in big parties.

Domestic conversations probably aren't as deadly as combat conditions, but this isn't the first time an iPhone app has tried to make a difference around the house. Unborn babies can use iPhone apps to choose their own names, and you can even let an iPhone substitute for a favorite petting cat. Smartphones like the iPhone are often fired up before users even get out of bed, so we should probably expect to see a lot more apps like the Talk-o-Meter in the future.

(Source)

Post by Michael Gray

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Comcast to offer home security package (Reuters)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:14 PM PDT

– Tue Jun 7, 9:14 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Comcast Corp is adding home security to its package of services for homes where it already delivers cable television, broadband and phone.

The largest U.S. cable provider sees security technology and home management technology as another way to enter new markets and tighten its relationships with existing customers.

The new package of home security includes cameras, movement sensors, police and fire alarm protection as well as home management features like remote thermostat and light control which can be customized by the subscriber. The service will cost around $39.99 a month which the company said is competitive with existing security firms like market leader ADT.

Comcast hopes integrated broadband features, which allow the customer to manage the service from the same Xfinity website in which they manage their video, broadband and phone services, will give the cable company a competitive advantage over security specialists.

Comcast's head of new businesses Mitch Bowling, said the company will not initially be discounting Xfinity Home Security as part of its bundle of services but it may do so in the future.

Comcast is rolling out the service and marketing it across seven cities before going fully national.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke, editing by Bernard Orr)

Sony sees brisk sales of new handheld games device (Reuters)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 04:23 PM PDT

By Isabel Reynolds Isabel Reynolds – Tue Jun 7, 7:23 pm ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Sony Corp online gaming network, accessed through its iPhone and other mobile devices, now boasts of 50 million users.

But despite the competition, Sony's Hirai said the aim is to make a profit on hardware sales of the new handheld PlayStation Vita in less than three years.

That contrasts with the PlayStation 3 home console, which analysts say initially cost the company hundreds of dollars per unit to sell and took years to make a profit after launching in 2006.

Jay Defibaugh, an analyst at MF Global, said Sony's Vita could outsell the PlayStation Portable.

"I think it's definitely possible, although I don't model that right now, given the bigger emphasis on connectivity," he said. "All things considered, the handheld market has more exposure to the increasing popularity of smartphone-based gaming."

In a separate interview, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment's U.S. division, Jack Tretton, said the Vita would go on sale in Japan by the end of the year, while launches in some regions could be pushed into 2012.

Sony, which revealed the pricing for Vita at a flashy event featuring sports and rock stars, is already facing criticism the gadget is too expensive.

Vita's pricing -- $249, or $299 for a 3G mobile version -- would help Sony reach its goal of making money off the device in less than three years, however.

"That's in line with what they've been saying about not making losses on the scale of the PS3, which was losing them hundreds of dollars per unit at first," Defibaugh said, adding it was unclear how Sony was calculating profitability on the device.

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; editing by Bernard Orr and Andre Grenon)

Nintendo Wii woos hardcore gamers, underwhelms investors (Reuters)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:57 PM PDT

By Liana B. Baker and Isabel Reynolds Liana B. Baker And Isabel Reynolds – 1 hr 24 mins ago

LOS ANGELES, Jun (Reuters) – Nintendo Co Ltd on Tuesday unwrapped a new touchscreen controller as part of its next-generation Wii aimed at winning back hardcore gamers from rivals such as Microsoft Corp's Xbox, drawing praise from gaming critics but disappointing investors.

While the first new gaming console in five years fell short of being the game-changer the original was -- luring millions of new casual users with its simplicity and motion-control -- industry executives and analysts gave the Wii U's touchscreen controller the thumbs-up.

Shareholders were underwhelmed, however, pushing the company's stock to a five-year low on concerns its strategy is too focused on hardware as the gaming market shifts to social networking.

Industry critics in early reviews praised the innovation embodied by the separate device, larger than Apple Inc's iPhone, but smaller than the iPad. It has a touchscreen, camera and video-call capability, plus an array of buttons and functions that might entice gamers who play longer and more intensely.

Nintendo retains the lead in gaming hardware, but is struggling to win users from Microsoft and Sony after the disappointing introduction of its 3DS handheld device. Gaming executives now hope the new Wii can jumpstart a $65 billion video games industry -- surpassing Hollywood in size -- still struggling to rebound from the recession.

The entire console is still under development, but is expected to go on sale between April and December 2012. No price has been set, but some speculate it could move for $299, or about the same as an Xbox twinned with a Kinect motion-sensing system.

"The controller is a breakthrough," said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia. "Overall, Wii U looks good, but I have to say I wasn't blown away."

That is a far cry from how the Wii took the industry by storm after its November 2006 launch, bringing motion control to gamers accustomed to joysticks and mice. Whether its latest gadget can win over a notoriously fickle market remains to be seen.

Nintendo shares in Tokyo slumped 5.5 percent to 16,880 yen, a level last seen before it launched the original Wii in 2006.

Investors said they needed more details on price and other specifications and that they were worried Nintendo remained too centered on hardware as the gaming market increasingly shifts to a software battleground.

"Although some experts seem to like the new device, I expected Nintendo to move more into the social networking business," said Mitsuo Shimizu, deputy general manager at Cosmo Securities in Tokyo.

"It's a warning from investors that the company should reconsider its business strategy and move more aggressively into social gaming operations."

Though it may not repeat the first Wii bonanza, the new Nintendo device, nonetheless, will exert some pressure on traditional console rivals such as Microsoft and Sony Corp to come up with new systems.

"It's smart for a number of reasons. There are two levels of interface, the touchscreen for casual gamers and the buttons for more core types," said Ricardo Torres, editor-in-chief for popular games site gamespot.com. "They have a lot of games core gamers care about.

"It's like a sandbox for developers. It's up to them to decide the experience that works best."

STEALING THE LIMELIGHT

The new console is the first Nintendo device to support high-definition graphics and will sport a microprocessor or brain from International Business Machines Corp and graphics processors from Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

But it was the controller that stole the limelight on Tuesday.

Its 6.2-inch touchscreen works like a second display and can show the same images that are on the TV screen or provide gamers with additional information, giving them an edge over competitors.

The Wii U's controller can also be used to make voice calls and run old Nintendo games. It has motion-sensor capabilities and works in conjunction with existing Wii controllers. With its array of buttons, the device could appeal to hardcore gamers who could use it for first-person shooter games.

The device also acts as a stand-alone gaming gadget. It can, for instance, continue running a game on the touchscreen while someone else watches TV. But it functions only in wireless connection with a Wii U console.

"It's still a tethered experience so it's not fully tablet-like," said BMO Capital Markets analyst Ed Williams. But "without a doubt, they are ahead of their peers and are putting themselves in a different position. But what we still need to see is how it will go over with consumers."

The initial game line-up announced at the E3 videogame show suggests Nintendo is trying to woo hardcore gamers back to the fold, with popular first-person shooters such as Ubisoft Entertainment SA's Ghost Recon, Sega's Aliens and Electronic Arts Inc's Battlefield 3 on the slate.

"There are so many developers already responding to creating new games for the videogame system we are proposing with Wii U," said Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata. "It can satisfy all tastes with deeper gameplay actions."

With more than a year to market, Nintendo could still make modifications and the game slate might change.

Sony began selling its PlayStation 3 in November 2006 while Microsoft's Xbox 360 became available in November 2005. Both have sold steadily and neither hardware maker has revealed immediate plans for new consoles.

This week, Sony announced plans to begin selling a handheld, 3D-enabled games device for $299 -- which critics immediately deemed too pricey.

"Nintendo is ahead of the curve for once," said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. "It can do anything a tablet can do and people might be asking, why can't my iPad 2 do this kind of gaming too?"

(Additional reporting by Tim Kelly and Antoni Slodkowski in Tokyo; Editing by Edwin Chan and Joseph Radford)

Pfizer starts first US "virtual" clinical study (AP)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:13 PM PDT

By LINDA A. JOHNSON, AP Business Writer Linda A. Johnson, Ap Business Writer – Tue Jun 7, 6:13 pm ET

TRENTON, N.J. – Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. is running the first U.S. clinical study in which patients participate by using mobile phones and the Internet, rather than repeatedly visiting a participating hospital.

The study announced Tuesday is a pilot project, approved by the Food and Drug Administration and known by the acronym REMOTE. The goal is to determine whether such "virtual" clinical studies can produce the same results as traditional ones that require patients to live near and regularly visit a hospital or clinic for an initial screening and multiple checkups.

If it works, it could mean that patients all over the country could participate in many future medical studies, allowing under-represented groups to take part, speeding up data collection and likely reducing costs and the rate of participants dropping out.

"Putting research within reach of more diverse populations has the potential to advance medical progress and lead to better outcomes for more patients," Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, Pfizer's chief medical officer, said in a statement.

FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley confirmed that this is the first such study in the country.

"We approved this concept and were supportive," she wrote in an email.

The agency has an initiative to improve the quality and efficiency of patient studies.

The study by New York-based Pfizer, the world's biggest drug maker by revenue, will test the safety and effectiveness of its blockbuster pill for overactive bladder, a condition in which patients have sudden, frequent urges to urinate.

The drug, Detrol LA, was approved in December 2000 and goes off patent next year. The long-acting version of Detrol, it requires only one pill a day.

About 600 patients in 10 states will enroll over the Internet after watching a video explaining the study and any risks, and then filling out a questionnaire. They will then have medication, either Detrol or dummy pills, mailed to them, not knowing which they are taking, as in a traditional study.

All the participants will submit information online frequently, directly to one of the study investigators, noting when they take the medicine, how often they urinate and details on symptoms and side effects.

The study acronym, REMOTE, stands for Research on Electronic Monitoring of OAB Treatment Experience. Overactive bladder was widely publicized in TV ads after Detrol and rival drugs such as Flomax came on the market.

Many medical studies require patient blood or urine samples, and sometimes X-rays or other imaging. Researchers would have to work out a system for specimen collection by local doctors or clinics, and for access to imaging facilities, for any virtual studies needing such data.

___

To enroll or learn more about the trial, visit: http://oab.mytrus.com/home

Automatic link-shortening feature unveiled by Twitter (Digital Trends)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 08:59 PM PDT

Trevor Mogg Trevor Mogg – 19 mins ago

twitterA lot's been happening at Twitter in the last couple of months as it continues its drive to bring more and more services in-house. It recently paid a fair whack for the TweetDeck third-party client. Then there was the introduction of a "Follow" button. After that, it rolled out a new photo sharing tool. And on Tuesday the company released a feature that will automatically shorten links.

"Today, we're releasing something that many of you have been asking for – automatic link shortening on Twitter.com," the company said on its blog on Tuesday.

The post explains how the new feature works: "Just paste a link of any length into the Tweet box on Twitter.com. After you've composed your Tweet and you hit the "Tweet" button, we'll shorten the link so that it only takes up 19 characters," meaning that you won't have to be so concerned about fitting it within the 140 character limit.

According to the post, this makes sharing links "simple and instant." The feature also helps to increase security as users will now be directed to a special warning page should they click on a link that has already been reported as malicious.

Just as the likes of TwitPic and yfrog may have had a sinking feeling when Twitter's new photo service was launched last week, link-shortening services such as bitly may well be experiencing a similar sensation today. However, Twitter has pointed out that fans of those third-party services will be able to continue to use them.

A support page from Twitter explains exactly how to use the new feature:

1. Start typing or paste a long URL into the Tweet box.

2. After you've entered the first 13 characters of a URL, a message will appear at the bottom of the Tweet box, letting you know that the link will appear shortened.

3. Notice that even if you've reached the character limit, you can continue to add text to the URL with no consequence.

4. Once the Tweet is posted, it will be assigned a t.co link ID, but the link will appear as a shortened version of the original URL, so people who see your Tweet will know the site they are going to.

Twitter says that the new link-shortening feature will be rolled out gradually, initially being made available to "a small percentage of users."

"It will eventually be available for everyone," the company said. "You should see it soon."

Does Nintendo's Wii U only support 1 touchscreen controller? (Digital Trends)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:55 PM PDT

Jeffrey Van Camp Jeffrey Van Camp – 1 hr 23 mins ago

Wii U ControllerThough the masses don't seem to have picked up on this yet, one of the first things we noticed when Nintendo unveiled the Wii U this morning was that, though it showed plenty of multiplayer game concepts for the new console, none of them involved more than one Wii U controller at a time. We can confirm that the console definitely supports a Wii U controller and up to 4 more Wii Remotes, but we are becoming fairly certain that Nintendo is not currently planning to support more than one Wii U touchscreen controller on its upcoming system.

Below are a few reasons why we think Wii U only supports one touchscreen controller (at this time).

Nintendo's press release talks of "a" controller: The official press release for the Wii U is titled "Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console features a controller with 6.2-inch screen." The press release also speaks of "a" new controller, but never mentions more than one.

No Wii U demos use multiple controllers: As far as we can tell, none of Nintendo's proof-of-concept demos utilize more than one Wii U controller at the same time. Nintendo's mock-up Wii U living room shows only one of the touch controllers.

Representatives refuse to comment: I went through a litany of Nintendo booth attendants, representatives, and other personnel asking whether the Wii U would support more than one controller and none of them would comment on the subject, at all. In the end, I was told that this is not something Nintendo is prepared to reveal at this time.

This controller is expensive: Just looking at the 6.2-inch touchscreen on the controller is enough to know that the Wii U controller will likely be the most expensive default controller ever released for a home console. If it were to retail as an accessory, we expect it would be priced far higher than the $40-$50 price tag of current generation controllers. Possibly a great deal higher, like $100-$200 or more.

Omission is often admission: Nintendo is a quiet company, but when it revealed the Wii, it was very open about the console's 4 player capabilities. Today, it readily showed us that the Wii U can pair up with four Wii Remotes, but it very deliberately has never shown more than one Wii U touchscreen controller at a time.

If true, this is sad news for gamers

Nintendo is pushing the Wii U as a console that is as equally suited to hardcore games as it is casual games. In its press conference Nintendo executives repeated this fact and even had EA's CEO come out and pledge hardcore game support. But how can Nintendo say it is fully supporting hardcore games if its new console only supports one hardcore game controller at a time? Last weekend, I played through Portal 2's splitscreen multiplayer co-operative mode. This would be impossible on the Wii U. While it's likely that Nintendo will beef up its online gameplay (it will need to now), only supporting a single touch screen controller greatly limits the gameplay possibilities of the system for hardcore games.

Of course, multiplayer games could still use the familiar nunchucks, but that would rob the Wii U of what is easily its best and most innovative feature.

Casual gamers should also be disappointed. Many of the game concepts Nintendo showed off today, including augmented reality, using the Wii U controller as a gun sight, etc, will only be possible as single player experiences. Multiplayer modes will have to be limited to concepts where players pass the good controller from person to person, taking turns.

Remember Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures? At E3 2003, Nintendo unveiled several games for its GameCube console that let players use their Game Boy Advances as controllers. This concept never took off for various reasons, but it spawned several fun games like FSA, which let players hold inventories and actually play on their handheld screens. There are a number of great game concepts that could arise from having more than a single touchscreen controller. It's a shame to think we may never see them.

Whether it has to do with screen streaming limitations, the power of the console itself, or the cost of these touchscreen controllers, Nintendo doesn't seem to want us to have more than one. Hopefully they change their collective minds.

Comparing clouds: A look at the three major cloud music services and what they offer (Appolicious)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT

Sony Unveils Mobile PlayStation Vita with Networking (NewsFactor)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:48 PM PDT

Jennifer LeClaire, newsfactor.com Jennifer Leclaire, newsfactor.com – Tue Jun 7, 4:48 pm ET

Amid a slew of E3 announcements -- and in the wake of hack attacks -- Sony on Monday announced its next competitive move in the mobile-gaming-console market: The PlayStation Vita. The name means "life" in Latin.

Sony will sell a Wi-Fi model for $249 and a 3G/Wi-Fi version for $299 in the U.S. The product is set to debut at the end of the year and will go head to head against Nintendo's 3DS handheld gaming device.

"Sony is really trying to drive the mobile experience forward and kick it up a notch," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner. "The key is going to be offering a differentiated experience that you can't get on a phone device, which has been one of the challenges. The question is whether consumers will pay for that premium gaming experience or is their mobile phone going to be good enough?"

A Smartphone Experience

Here's the specs on Vita: It comes equipped with a five-inch multi-touch organic light-emitting diode as the front display and a multi-touch pad on the rear. Vita lets users interact directly with games in 3D-like motion by finger motions of touching, grabbing, tracing, pushing and pulling. Vita also comes with two analog sticks for shooting, action and fighting games.

Sony promises Vita will empower social gaming by letting users meet, connect, share and play with friends in different locations. The Vita comes with an application called "near" that lets users see what games other Vita users nearby are playing or recently played. The app also lets users share their game information and enables location-based game features like gifting.

With gifting, a user can access virtual game-related items that others are sharing by checking in at geographic locations others have visited. Those virtual items range from unlocked gaming content to character costumes, weapons and treasures. Gifting aims to raise the bar on social connectivity with a portable gaming experience.

"It's the same approach to some degree that Nintendo is taking with its 3GS," Gartenberg said. "The problem they are facing is that the experience on an iPhone or iPod touch is pretty compelling from a gaming-experience standpoint. We're seeing a lot more sophisticated games, and those devices do much more than let you play games."

A New Frontier

Meanwhile, a pre-installed social-networking app called Party lets gamers launch voice chat or text chat during online gaming or when users are playing different games or using different apps, like an Internet browser.

Sony also unveiled some of the new in-house titles that will debut with Vita, including Gravity Daze, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Little Deviants, Hot Shots Golf, Reality Fighter, Hustle Kings, MoNation Racers, Wipeout 2048, and Super Stardust Delta. Third-party game developers and publishers are also planning titles for the new platform.

"Sony to some degree is facing an entirely new set of challenges in the mobile space. Apple has sort of become this wild card in mobile gaming using the iOS platform to drive gaming forward, and a lot of those games are also coming in at much lower costs," Gartenberg said. "It will be interesting to see how consumers react to the device and if they will be willing to spend a few hundred more dollars on a differentiated gaming experience."

Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud isn’t really a cloud music service (Appolicious)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:41 AM PDT

Sony and Toshiba (Investor's Business Daily)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:37 PM PDT

– Tue Jun 7, 6:37 pm ET

Sony (NYSE:SNE - News) and Toshiba are in talks to combine their units that make small LCD panels for smartphones and tablet computers like those in Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL - News) iPad and iPhone, and may sell a stake to the Japanese gov't for $1.2 bil, sources said. The new unit would pass Sharp as the biggest LCD panel maker. Sony fell 1.9% to 25.27.

Apple announces comprehensive Twitter integration with iOS 5 at WWDC ‘11 (Appolicious)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Associates of Peru president-elect address fears (AP)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:06 PM PDT

By CARLA SALAZAR, Associated Press Carla Salazar, Associated Press – Tue Jun 7, 6:06 pm ET

LIMA, Peru – Associates of Peru's new left-leaning president-elect did their best to calm investor fears, and the stock market rebounded Tuesday after plunging on concerns Ollanta Humala will be hostile to private enterprise.

Humala's vice president-elect and a member of his economic team both assured the business community that the winner of Sunday's presidential runoff will maintain the country's fiscal policies, with an emphasis on social programs.

The stock market rose by 7 percent by Tuesday afternoon after diving by more than 12 percent Monday. Humala narrowly defeated the daughter of disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori on Sunday.

With nearly 96 percent of the ballots counted, Humala had received 51.6 percent of the vote to Keiko Fujimori's 48.4 percent.

Members of the business and opposition political communities demanded Tuesday that Humala quickly announce his economy minister and other Cabinet members, as well as who will head the Central Bank. As a candidate, Humala had stoked worried that he would pursue more interventionist, anti-free market policies after aligning himself with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during his last presidential campaign in 2006.

"We have to ask for certainty ... and also request that they not take more than the time that is necessary (to name ministers), which would generate more uncertainty," said Marisol Perez Tello, a congresswoman-elect from the right.

Economist Kurt Burneo, a member of Humala's financial team, told a news conference Tuesday there was no reason for concern.

"There was going to be some volatility Monday ... but the idea was to recover and that's what we're seeing today," he said. "It couldn't be otherwise, because the foundations of our macroeconomy are very solid."

Earlier Tuesday, Borneo told Peru's Channel 5 television station that the new government will maintain the country's general fiscal policies.

"The only different element of Ollanta Humala's economic policy is a particular emphasis on social programs," he said.

Humala himself was quoted by the government news agency Andina as saying Tuesday, "I ask the country to remain calm. We are doing our best and we have to continue working."

Humala, a 48-year-old political novice and former army lieutenant colonel, has promised to make Peru "more just and less unequal," with "an economy that serves as a motor for social inclusion."

But he said he would so without following the path of a man he once openly admired: Chavez, who has nationalized industries, scared off investors and alienated the wealthy.

Unlike in his first unsuccessful 2006 run for president, when he projected the image of a radical leftist in Chavez's mold, this time around Humala has been praising the Brazilian approach of attacking poverty while honoring the free market and private property.

Mostly due to a mining boom, Peru has experienced a decade of growth averaging 7 percent annually.

Humala "has rejected whatever type of economic model that could be authoritarian," Vice President-elect Marisol Espinoza told radio station La FM on Tuesday.

"We have been elected by the Peruvian people. We have a constitutional mandate and we are going to govern, fundamentally, through democratic principles."

Humala named a transition team Monday. He takes office on July 28.
at 9:46 PM

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