PlayStation 3 Has New Tricks
Diana Forbes
12/08/08 - 01:33 PM EST
LOS ANGELES -- The
Sony (SNE Quote) PlayStation 3 has a number of new features that are worth the upgrade. For starters, the built-in Blu-ray player enables you to play all of your Blu-ray DVDs, CDs and any other digital media. There is also 40% more processing power than the previous model.
Next up, this T-Mobile Sidekick now has customizable skin that's painted directly to the outside of the device. As a result, the outside feels smoother and looks hipper than some other stick-on skins. At 5.3 ounces, Gadget Grrl says this model is also lighter and slimmer than the previous model.
More about the Sidekick later. Now let's take a look at the PSP 3.
The 160 GB PlayStation 3 hard drive can store 22 HD movies and up to 80 regular movies, not to mention thousands of photos, CDs and music.
Wi-Fi capabilities enable users to connect to the PlayStation network and download
games, movies, music, etc. It also lets you explore social or gaming communities online.
There is 40% more processing power than the previous model, which makes the depth of game play much more enhanced, and the controller moves with you when you play a game.
This Sidekick is lighter and slimmer than the previous model, making it
easier to do what most users do on it: text. Speaking of which, the Sidekick has retained its signature swivel screen, but has added some brightly pulsating colors to the trackball, making it easy to use in the dark. Add to that the fact that the keyboard keys are back lit and nicely spaced, and you've got an easy-to-text little machine.
The downside on this device is the Web browsing and the built-in camera. If you need to text quite a bit but don't need all the extra features of a higher-end device, this might work for you.
Site to see:
Animoto
This is a great, free site for business or personal use.
It allows you to upload photos and music and Animoto will instantly create a slideshow video. This could work for quickie presentations that you don't have time to work on, or for vacation shots that have accumlulated over the years.
The site even includes transitions and effects in the finished slideshow. All clips 30 seconds or less are free, anything over that will cost you $3.00.